Exploring Robotics With Robotis Systems

"One of the best Robotics books for beginners" - BookAuthority 
This book is a hardware and software guide to educational robotics systems such as the BIOLOID PREMIUM (amazon.com/ROBOTIS-INC-901-0006-300-BIODLOID-PREMIUM/dp/B0057EWBTW) and the ROBOTIS MINI (amazon.com/ROBOTIS-INC-901-0046-200-MINI/dp/B00N9UDBA4).  It is part of a series of textbooks for ROBOTIS robotics systems:
amazon.com/Learning-Robotics-ROBOTIS-PLAY-Systems/dp/0999391801.
amazon.com/Learning-Robotics-ROBOTIS-DREAM-Systems/dp/099939181X.

This 2nd Edition (340+ pages & 100 video tutorials) is a substantial revision of the 2015 Edition.  All original 11 chapters had been revised or updated, in particular:

• Chapter 3 had additional descriptions of the newer CM-50, OpenCM-700 and X series Dynamixels.
• Chapter 4 had new introductory sections for the ROBOPLUS V.2 tools such as R+SCRATCH and the OLLOBOT SDK designed for Firmware 2.0 types of controllers such as CM-50/150/200 and OpenCM-7.00/9.04.
• Chapter 5 provides a closer look at the MANAGER and TASK V.2 tools regarding their use with the 485-EXP expansion board for the OpenCM-9.04/C system.  It also has new sections on usage of the IR Array Sensor for arbitrary single track maneuvers, new remote control capabilities via R+SCRATCH and smartphones tilt sensors.
• The new Chapter 6 combined the old Chapters 6 and 7 into a single chapter regarding Position Control Applications of ROBOTIS Dynamixels and to show complex interactions between parameters such as Present Position, Goal Position, Goal Speed, Torque Limit, Present Load, Motion Page and Joint Offset.  New application projects were illustrated such as an Avoider Arm and Remote Control of a Mobile Manipulator Platform using a CM-530 controller.
• Chapter 9 added new Embedded C features with an OpenCM-9.04/C + 485-EXP controller with new applications such as Remote/Autonomous Control of a Mobile Manipulator Platform using a smartphone video camera and NIR distance sensors.
• Chapter 11 was entirely new and written to document the use of the R+SCRATCH tool and the PLAY 700 mobile app, in conjunction with REMOTE/SMART DEVICE commands from a TASK program or from Arduino-style codes to access various services from a smartphone such as: video camera, gesture sensor, touch areas, audio and video playback, text-to-speech and speech recognition.
• Chapter 12 was also entirely new and described the OLLOBOT SDK which was originally designed for the OLLOBOT Kit released in August 2016 to enable its control from smartphones.  This chapter was for users interested in creating custom smartphone apps interacting with ROBOTIS' robotic systems.
• For more details, please visit the web link www/cntrobotics.com/springer.
• The "extras" materials can be accessed at extras.springer.com/2017/978-3-319-59830-7

Dr. Chi N. Thai is a "retired" Associate Professor from the College of Engineering of the University of Georgia where he lectured undergraduate and graduate courses on Systems Modeling, Multispectral Machine Vision and Robotics. His formal training included B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, both at Northrop University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of California at Davis.  He had done research in adaptive gear shifting for agricultural tractors, optimal hull design for boat tractors, characterization and modeling of quality of agricultural products using spectrometry, and hyperspectral imaging for plant health sensing.  His "retirement" activities involve training of middle and junior high school students using various ROBOTIS systems such as PLAY, DREAM and BIOLOID (cntrobotics.com/services).