need help finding books (pneumatic/hydraulics/robotics)

[FrogMan]

guys (and gals), with the vast knowledge available on FOFC, I figured somebody could help on this, so here goes...

My wife is a mechanical engineer and she's looking for some books about the very basics of either of the three fields in the title line: pneumatic, hydraulics, or robotics.

By very basic, she's talking about something in the line of the "...for dummies" book, maybe not that dumb, but you know what I'm saying. She's not looking for a textbook kind of thing, simply something to help her understand the basics.

I have found a book called Robotics Demystified (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071436782/ref=ord_cart_shr/702-9817397-1704036?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB) that I will most certainly get for her for Christmas, and I also had found another one called Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789729717/ref=ord_cart_shr/702-9817397-1704036?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB) that I may get for her at one point (although it seems a bit more geared towards building your own robot and not robotics in general), but I would appreciate if there's any specialists of the other two fields that could help me out. I can't remember hearing from an FOFCer in these two fields but figured it couldn't hurt to ask as I seem to be out of luck finding some easier to read books about these...

I have found the Robot Building For Dummies (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764540696/qid=1134406925/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/702-9817397-1704036) book but wasn't too interested in it, for the same reason that it looked like more of a "build your own robot" kind of book...

If anybody could help, I'd appreciate it very much.

Thanks in advance!
FM

[Airhog]

Robotics Demystified is a guide to building your own robots basically.

If I was going to pursue a study on robotics, I would focus on some books on pneumatics, and hydraulics. I would also try to find a decent book on the eletronics side of robotics.

[Airhog]

Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics (Paperback) - this might be a good book

The problem as I see it, is that the really good books on robotics are fairly expensive. And there are not many books that teach the basics of robotics it seems, without being a build your own robot kind of book.

[FrogMan]

Robotics Demystified is a guide to building your own robots basically.

If I was going to pursue a study on robotics, I would focus on some books on pneumatics, and hydraulics. I would also try to find a decent book on the eletronics side of robotics.
thanks for the comment. I ordered the Demystified book since I felt it was the one among the cheaper ones (the light to read ones) that looked the less like a "build your own" kind of book. Do you have the book or are you going from what you read on the reviews/summaries of it?

Also, she doesn't really want to pursue a study on robotics, simply want to get some basics. Hopefully, this will get her started and she'll be able to go on to some better ones later on...

FM

[FrogMan]

Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics (Paperback) - this might be a good book

The problem as I see it, is that the really good books on robotics are fairly expensive. And there are not many books that teach the basics of robotics it seems, without being a build your own robot kind of book.
I agree about the expensive part of it and the build your own comment. These were my first thoughts too. I looked at that book you mention here and it looks interesting, although maybe a bit dry. As I said, I ordered her one, maybe I'll mention that second one to here and we'll see if we order that one too...

Thanks again for your input.

FM

[Airhog]

I just basically went with the reviews of it FM. I havent read much on robotics, but since I have a background in electronics I feel pretty comfortable talking at least about that part of them. It seems like electronic books are the same way, Most of the reading is very dry, and the books can be pricey. I only have textbooks though.

[FrogMan]

I just basically went with the reviews of it FM. I havent read much on robotics, but since I have a background in electronics I feel pretty comfortable talking at least about that part of them. It seems like electronic books are the same way, Most of the reading is very dry, and the books can be pricey. I only have textbooks though.
that's cool, yeah the reading being dry is something she kind of wants to avoid. She falls asleep when she reads very dry stuff like that, don't ask me how she went through mechanical engineering, I met her in her last semester ;)

Reason for the interest in robotic is the fact that she's seen one robot in action where she works, seems like a fairly simple one that as to do with moving parts from a plastic injection machine, but she was interested by it and with how it worked behind...

Thanks again for the help.

FM

[terpkristin]

Hmm.
I have tons of ideas for books, but most of the ones I'd suggest are from a technical standpoint.

For example, "Robotics" by Craig is often considered the "gold standard" for teaching robotics at the graduate level.

I'd have other ideas, but I think most would be aimed higher than you're looking for (given that my thesis was all about robotics and using robots in space and that I helped design the Ranger robot, I might be one of the "experts" here on the board and still can't help, sorry!). But feel free to ping me off here if there are books you'd like a 2nd opinion on..

/tk

[Warhammer]

The Pump Handbook is a good book for hydraulics, it is by Igor Karassic

[FrogMan]

Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics (Paperback) - this might be a good book

Now this is funny... I just went over to my favorite bargain books shop online, bookcloseouts (http://www.bookcloseouts.com), entered the term "robotics (http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?N=1930)" in the search field and low and behold, this book (http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?Nsl=1930&Ix=6&R=0071410104B&Rt=24) came out, selling at only $4.99. I'll order it tonight, if only because they're almost giving it away :)

FM

[FrogMan]

The Pump Handbook is a good book for hydraulics, it is by Igor Karassic
sure looks like a good and solid books but the $130cdn price tag is a bit much for us. Thanks for the recommendation though, I've added it to my amazon wish list...

FM