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Stiquito For Beginners : An Introduction to Robotics
 This is the second book on the popular
Stiquito robot. Stiquito for Beginners is much more basic than the original book.
It is aimed at the novice and it presents you with a unique opportunity to learn about the
fields of engineering, electronics, and robotics in an original way.
This book may also be the first affordable educational book to
describe a robot and include the robot with the book! This book will provide you with the
skills and equipment to build a small robot, and will also provide you with instructions
on how to build electronic controls for your robot.
The star of this book is Stiquito, a small, inexpensive hexapod
(six-legged) robot. Stiquito has been used since 1992 by universities, high schools, and
hobbyists. It is unique not only because it is so inexpensive but because its applications
are limitless.
The
Stiquito is a robot that is intended for use as a research and educational tool. This book
is written at a level for High School and College students. It provides an engineering,
electronics, and robotics curriculum, and presents experiments and projects that
illustrate what they teach. It also illustrates Stiquito's uses in education by presenting
lab exercises and describes the use of nitinol in experiments. Stiquito has already
successfully been used to teach in primary, secondary, high school, and college classes.
 Contents: Chapter 1: An Introduction to Robotics and
Stiquito — This chapter presents a brief overview of robotics and describes the
Stiquito robot. This chapter will also describe the skills needed to build a Stiquito
robot.
Chapter 2: Engineering Skills and the Design Process
— What is an engineer? What skills do an engineer need? How does an engineer go about
designing something? This chapter explores these questions.
Chapter 3: Electricity Basics — This chapter
discusses some of the basic properties of electricity. This chapter also provides some
experiments to show how electricity and electronic components work.
Chapter 4: Nitinol Basics — This chapter discusses
some of the basic properties of the Stiquito's muscle, nitinol wire. It also provides some
experiments to show how electricity and nitinol work.
 Chapter 5: Stiquito: A Small,
Simple, Inexpensive Hexapod Robot — This chapter gives step-by-step instructions on
how to assemble the robot kit included in the book.
Chapter 6: A Manual Controller for the Stiquito Robot
— You have finished building the robot kit. Now how do you make it walk? This chapter
gives step-by-step instructions on how to build the simplest tethered controller for
Stiquito.
Chapter 7: A PC Based Controller for the Stiquito Robot — This
interface allows you to use an IBM PC or compatible computer to control the actuators on
the Stiquito robot and experiment with various gaits.
Chapter 8: A Simple Circuit to Make Stiquito Walk on Its Own —
This chapter contains detailed instructions on how to build an electrical controller to
allow Stiquito to walk autonomously.
Chapter 9: Uses of Stiquito and the Future of Small Walking Robots
— Now that you have built Stiquito, what can you do with it? What can it be used for
in the future? This chapter explores these questions.
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A biography, a list of suppliers, and an index are also included. The book includes all materials needed to build Stiquito.
You only need a hobby knife,
pliers, and a battery to complete the robot.
We recommend this
book!
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Stiquito Controlled! : Making a Truly
Autonomous Robot
 Build your own Stiquito "walking-stick" robot insect with the included kit!
Stiquito Controlled! is a widely accessible, user-friendly book that
provides step-by-step instructions for building Stiquito, a small,
multi-legged robot that resembles a "walking-stick" insect. The book
includes comprehensive instructions and all the parts needed to complete
assembly. Most notably, the kit contains a microcontroller board that allows
Stiquito to walk on its own. Key features of the book include:
Complete kit to build Stiquitono additional materials necessary (common
tools required)
Detailed, step-by-step instructions for assembly of the robot
Comprehensive lessons on making Stiquito walk using the
microcontroller
Engineering teachers and students, researchers, and science enthusiasts will
find Stiquito Controlled! a fascinating and fun hands-on project. |
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Stiquito : Advanced Experiments with a Simple and
Inexpensive Robot
 This book describes
how to assemble and build Stiquito, provides information on the design and control of
legged robots, illustrates its research uses, and includes the robot kit. The experiments
in the text lead the reader on a tour of the current state of micro-robotics research. The
book includes all materials needed to build Stiquito. You only need a hobby knife, pliers,
and a battery to complete the robot.
The book begins with an introduction that describes the birth of Stiquito.
The chapters that follow describe the building process, modifications, and increasing its
load capacity. Other chapters examine designs for simple controllers and describe software
and hardware designs for performing cooperative, intelligent operations. In addition, the
book examines further research on the role of logic in a mobile robot's sensors, control,
and locomotion. The book concludes with a discussion of the future for nitinol-propelled
walking robots.
 If you are looking for a greater challenge, the book
gives step-by-step instructions for the construction of several robots that are more
advanced than the Stiquito pictured on the cover. these include Stiquito II and Tensipede.
The Stiquito robot can be constructed entirely from supplies included with the book/kit,
but some of the more advanced robots require that you purchase materials from the
suppliers listed in the back of the book.
 Chapter 4 presents another cousin of Stiquito. The Scorpio robot is
a modification of Stiquito that allows it to carry eight times more weight.
A PC Based Controller for Stiquito Robots allows you to use an IBM PC or
compatible computer to control the actuators on Stiquito II or Tenispede and experiment
with various gaits. Concepts in chapter 6 can be used to design a simple PC controller for
Stiquito.
 An autonomous Motorola M68HC11 based
controller was designed to control Stiquito's walking motion. The main goals were to
enhance the functionality of the robot and to give the robot autonomy. A design for a
hand-held infrared remote transmitter is also presented. Stiquito is able to execute
commands sent through the transmitter and respond appropriately. This basic design can be
easily modified in the future for more sophisticated control of Stiquito-like robots.
The infrared Stiquito Colony Communications System can be used to
experiment with the idea of a colony containing a queen and several colonists. The queen
generates movement commands and transmits infrared movement signals to the colonists. The
infrared signal is received by the colonists, the appropriate movement is executed, and
the signal is re-transmitted to other colonists. This experiment will require the purchase
of additional materials.
 Chapter 13 presents examples and opportunities for studying and
applying the paradigms of Artificial Intelligence using Stiquito. Topics include genetic
algorithms, emergent cooperation, and neural networks. The mechanics of walking robots are
inspected and a genetic algorithm is used for determining the optimal gaits for minimizing
energy consumption while maintaining balance.
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Chapter 16: The Future for Nitinol-Propelled Walking Robots by Mark
Tilden. A wonderful chapter about the possible uses of nitinol wire. A "must
read" chapter for ideas on what to do after you build Stiquito. The chapter starts
with: When it was first announced that a 'robot muscle' had been invented and that it was
usable, strong, and lightweight, the resounding cry was 'boy, aren't we gonna see some
cool robots now.' |
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Muscle Wires Project Book
 Boris is an
exciting, fully controllable, and low cost robot that is featured in the Muscle Wires
Project Book. It moves with an amazingly smooth and lifelike action, taking steps
about one centimeter long and one centimeter high. Boris' simple design uses eight
separate Muscle Wires to create all motions; one to make the forward/backward motion on
each of the legs, and two wires for lifting alternating legs with each step. Build Boris
from piano wire, balsa wood or foam core and plastic sheet. Connect Boris to an interface
circuit that accepts signals from your PC's printer port, then operate it from the
computer's keyboard!
 The Muscle Wires Project Book is more than just an
instruction manual for building Boris. Other topics include: Basic lever action, ratchets
and latches, model railroad crossing, AC power circuit, solar power circuit, paper
airplane launcher, life-like butterfly, rubber tube "flexi", proportional
control, radio control interface, programmable multiple wire controller & serial port
interface, PC parallel port interface and much more.
 BORIS:
Length: 13.5 cm
Height: 4.5 cm
Weight: 30 grams
Power & Drive:
- Eight 100 µm dia. Muscle Wires (50 centimeters total).
- 6 volts, 500 milliamp max.
- Full software control via PC parallel printer port.
Get the facts behind the unusual properties of Muscle Wires. Study their
uses in heat engines, industrial, medical and aerospace applications, electronic and
mechanical devices, prosthetic limbs, robotics, virtual reality systems, and more.
Get the essential Do's and Don'ts of designing, constructing and powering
Muscle Wires devices. Take best advantage of their small sizes and amazing strengths.
Discover essential tricks and secrets to getting maximum performance from your projects.
 Create dozens of devices from simple
levers to multi-action robots. Get detailed instructions for fifteen hands-on projects
(from simple lever mechanisms, to Boris, the six legged motorless walking machine), plus
sources for wires, materials, electronic components, and software. Develop your own Muscle
Wire projects for Model Railroads, Custom Electronic Devices, Science Fair Projects, Radio
Control Vehicles, Computer-Controlled Systems, Animated Models, and Ultra-Small Machines
& Robots.
Includes the award winning Muscle Wire Project Book, plus Flexinol 050,
100 and 150, plus crimps and instructions. The wire, plus a few other readily available
materials, are all you need to build all 15 projects in the book including Boris the
motorless walking machine. An ideal starter package for engineers, students and
experimenters of all ages.
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"If you're interested in lightweight robot
muscles, check this book out immediately!" Robot Explorer Newsletter
"A comprehensive, practical and clearly written
user's manual." Computer Craft Magazine
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Shape Memory Materials
 Shape
memory materials are fascinating materials, with the potential for
application as "smart materials" and also as new functional materials. This
book presents a systematic and up-to-date account of all aspects of shape
memory materials, from fundamentals to applications. Starting from the basic
principles of the martensitic transformation, on which the shape memory
effect and the super-elasticity of alloys are based, the mechanisms of the
two phenomena are clearly described, together with possible applications.
The characteristics, fabrication techniques and thermo-mechanical treatment
of various shape memory alloys are described in detail, with special
emphasis on Ti-Ni and Ti-Ni-X (with X being Cu, Fe etc.) alloys.
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The book also describes various applications and design principles, for example in
actuators, medical applications and as smart materials. The book contains
chapters on shape memory ceramics and polymers as well as shape memory
alloys, making it a comprehensive account of the field. |
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