Preface

There have been many recent technological advances that have really changed the way we live, work, and play. The television, the computer, and the cell phone all have dramatically affected our lives. Each of these generally started out with a few early adopters, for the most part, individuals with lots of resources that were able to afford the new technology. However, soon after, there was a movement to make the technology more affordable for a wider range of people.

The latest technological movement is robotics. The number, kind, and use of robots is growing dramatically. The first of these robots were developed in university labs or in military research centers. However, just as with the adaption of the computer, there is already a growing grassroots movement of do-it-yourself developers that has sprung up to make robots a part of our everyday life.

This movement has been fueled by inexpensive hardware and free, open source software. However, it has also been enabled by a community of developers who are willing to help others get started or overcome challenges that they have experienced.

This book is offered in the spirit of this do-it-yourself movement. Inside the book, you'll find details about how to take Raspberry Pi B 2, an inexpensive, small, but versatile computer, and marry it with inexpensive hardware and open source software to build a bipedal robot that can walk, sense barriers, and even see its surroundings.

However, be careful—this sort of information can be dangerous. Before long, you may be creating the next generation of thinking, walking, sensing machines that will be at the heart of the robotic revolution.