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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent introduction to Behavior-based AI
Review: I first read Jones' previous book ("Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation") back in 1999 and was very excited to see how simple AI could be.This new book goes much deeper in the art of designing behavior-based robots and does a great job at it. And Even though I had already gainged a lot of experience programming my own robots, I still found it very stimulating and learned a thing or two. I highly recommend this to any aspiring roboticist, and even the old pros!
Rating: 
Summary: Great selection for the curious reader.You know who you are
Review: OK, I'm no uber geek, just someone who is very curious about robotics. I have a moderately strong CS background, but have never before delved into the EE or robotics world.
I was looking for some good books to introduce me to the topic of robotics, an interest that has been scratching at the back of my cranium for some time.
I was hoping that Robot Programming would cover the software fundamentals side of the equation and it did just that. Don't get me wrong, you will not find much in the way of actual code. The book is more conceptual. It does a great job describing the topics that a nascent robot programmer will face.
The only negative was that the robot simulator is a bit over-hyped. I can't say that I ever felt the need to use it. Hey, that's just me. Others might feel differently.
Great job Joe Jones!
Rating:
Summary: Valuable tips learned the hard way
Review: This book is a collection of tips for robot design that you would otherwise have to learn the hard way through many years of experience. The author provides an overview of techniques that work, as well as common mistakes; overall, an approach for successful design patterns proven over time.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable tips learned the hard way
Review: This book is a collection of tips for robot design that you would otherwise have to learn the hard way through many years of experience. The author provides an overview of techniques that work, as well as common mistakes; overall, an approach for successful design patterns proven over time.
Rating:
Summary: A Practical Guide Indeed
Review: You can really see that Jones knows what he is talking about reading this book, and you can see the influence participation in making a practical robot (Roomba) for mass production has had on Jones thinking. Previously Jones authored _Mobile Robots_ with Anita Flynn, a product of MIT research. Now Jones brings many practical and useful explanations in very easily understood terms to the beginner, and hidden depth to the experienced robot programmer. While many of the research level books talk "about" Behavior-Based Programming in general terms, Jones descends into specifics, such as the inner workings of arbitration, and some of the different schemes used, and the difference between ballistic and servo behaviors. Well written, an easy read, and deceptively meaty exercises. One of the appendices of the book cover some much-needed common algorithms. Another the mathematics of differential drive. Plus, this book has a companion web site, also covered in a appendix, written by Daniel Roth, where you can get your own free virtual robot to "play" with and control. You can run your own experiments with their pre-canned behaviors, and watch the results of your concept level programming in simulated action. More than a book, this is a learning opportunity for anyone wanting to understand practical robot programming "behavior style".
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