Build Your Own Combat Robot

Rating:
Summary: Great For Me, but...
Review: Don't get me wronng I think this book ois great in fact I'm using it now for a report on the robotic engineering involved in Battlebots. But unless you're looking to find out all of the little insides and outs of the bots I wouldn't recomend this one. This book is written in a textbook style meaning that its great if you're actually building or doing research but it's not great for a fun read.

Rating:
Summary: Good for the Intermediate....
Review: I bought this book thinking it would supply with enough information about everything about radio control robotic combat, but it didn't. I was a complete beginner, & reading through the book made it seem like you should of anyready known this stuff; and because of this it didn't go into great detail. Now there is a great section on Robot Sumo in the last chapters which was very helpful on building my Sumo robot, but the rest of the book is really nothign to me unless I knew more about the hobby.

Rating:
Summary: Good for the Intermediate....
Review: I bought this book thinking it would supply with enough information about everything about radio control robotic combat, but it didn't. I was a complete beginner, & reading through the book made it seem like you should of anyready known this stuff; and because of this it didn't go into great detail. Now there is a great section on Robot Sumo in the last chapters which was very helpful on building my Sumo robot, but the rest of the book is really nothign to me unless I knew more about the hobby.

Rating:
Summary: great robot how-to book
Review: This book has everything! If you're interested in information on building a robot for combat then look no further. There are chapters on selecting the right motors, batteries and electronics. Want to get the most from your motors? this book explains tells you how! There are even chapters on Robot Sumo with complete plans to build your own inexpensive Sumo Robot! Great book!

Rating:
Summary: More hype than substance
Review: This book is basically a big advertisement for combat roboting. Otherwise, the authors never seem to decide if they want to convey theory of mechanics or a rough overview of the pastime.

For example, they include charts that look technical, like torque vs. rpm, but convey no useful information that can't be reasoned out with a little common sense. The book carefully details various battery properties. But, in the very next section the only thing it says about power transfer that it is necessary to make the wheels turn. They include a few useless formulas that can, again, be easily reasoned, but it doesn't mention anything about how to build or acquire a transmission.

The controller sections are also poor. They include electronic schematics that, while not incorrect, are obsolete and overly simplified. Yet, in the same sections the book actually include programming (basic I think) for controller chips.

Maybe the one-star rating was a little low, but I feel that this book was a brain-stormed first draft that mistakenly made it past the editor.

Rating:
Summary: More hype than substance
Review: This book is basically a big advertisement for combat roboting. Otherwise, the authors never seem to decide if they want to convey theory of mechanics or a rough overview of the pastime.

For example, they include charts that look technical, like torque vs. rpm, but convey no useful information that can't be reasoned out with a little common sense. The book carefully details various battery properties. But, in the very next section the only thing it says about power transfer that it is necessary to make the wheels turn. They include a few useless formulas that can, again, be easily reasoned, but it doesn't mention anything about how to build or acquire a transmission.

The controller sections are also poor. They include electronic schematics that, while not incorrect, are obsolete and overly simplified. Yet, in the same sections the book actually include programming (basic I think) for controller chips.

Maybe the one-star rating was a little low, but I feel that this book was a brain-stormed first draft that mistakenly made it past the editor.

Rating:
Summary: Great book for fan or expert builder!
Review: This book was a great read. Even if you don't have a great amount of knowledge on the subject, this book can still help with with useful info. Everything from the basics to armor and weapons suggestions. This book has great tips, equations, motor info, and much more. A must for any pro or beginner!

Rating:
Summary: Build Your Own Combat Robot
Review: This is a good start for any person intrested in Combat Bots. Not as detailed as I hoped but has several good sources.
Built at least 2 working (Non Combat) Bots based on ideas learned from this book.

Rating:
Summary: Build Your Own Combat Robot
Review: This is a good start for any person intrested in Combat Bots. Not as detailed as I hoped but has several good sources.
Built at least 2 working (Non Combat) Bots based on ideas learned from this book.

Rating:
Summary: The real deal
Review: This is one of the best how-to books I've seen. The authors are true experts in the subject, and it shows in their selection of material. I wish the engineers at Toshiba who designed my notebook computer had read the chapter on batteries. You get theory, practice, materials engineering, mechanics and robotics all presented in one neat package. This is one of those rare books that's perfect for the beginner as well as the expert. It's jammed full of information that would take hundreds of hours to gather from other sources, and most importantly, it's a painless way to shorten the learning curve to become a robot expert yourself.