You're reading from Learn Robotics Programming Build and control AI-enabled autonomous robots using the Raspberry Pi and Python

Product type Paperback

Published in Feb 2021

Publisher Packt

ISBN-13 9781839218804

Length 602 pages

Edition 2nd Edition

Languages

Python

Tools

Raspberry Pi

Concepts

Robotics

Author (1):

Danny Staple

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Table of Contents (25) Chapters

Preface

1. Section 1: The Basics – Preparing for Robotics

2. Chapter 1: Introduction to Robotics FREE CHAPTER

3. Chapter 2: Exploring Robot Building Blocks – Code and Electronics

4. Chapter 3: Exploring the Raspberry Pi

5. Chapter 4: Preparing a Headless Raspberry Pi for a Robot

6. Chapter 5: Backing Up the Code with Git and SD Card Copies

7. Section 2: Building an Autonomous Robot – Connecting Sensors and Motors to a Raspberry Pi

8. Chapter 6: Building Robot Basics – Wheels, Power, and Wiring

9. Chapter 7: Drive and Turn – Moving Motors with Python

10. Chapter 8: Programming Distance Sensors with Python

11. Chapter 9: Programming RGB Strips in Python

12. Chapter 10: Using Python to Control Servo Motors

13. Chapter 11: Programming Encoders with Python

14. Chapter 12: IMU Programming with Python

15. Section 3: Hearing and Seeing – Giving a Robot Intelligent Sensors

16. Chapter 13: Robot Vision – Using a Pi Camera and OpenCV

17. Chapter 14: Line-Following with a Camera in Python

18. Chapter 15: Voice Communication with a Robot Using Mycroft

19. Chapter 16: Diving Deeper with the IMU

20. Chapter 17: Controlling the Robot with a Phone and Python

21. Section 4: Taking Robotics Further

22. Chapter 18: Taking Your Robot Programming Skills Further

23. Chapter 19: Planning Your Next Robot Project – Putting It All Together

24. Other Books You May Enjoy

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What is a headless system, and why is it useful in a robot?

A headless system is a computer designed to be operated from another computer via a network, at times or in places where keyboard, screen, and mouse access to a device is inconvenient. Headless access is used for server systems, for building robots and making gadgets:

Figure 4.1 – A Raspberry Pi tethered to a screen, keyboard, and mouse

Figure 4.1 shows a system with a head where a user can sit in front of the device. You need to attach a screen, keyboard, and mouse to your robot, and hence it is not very mobile. You may be able to attach/detach them as required, but this is also inconvenient. There are portable systems designed to dock with Raspberry Pis like this, but when a robot moves, you'll need to disconnect it or move with the robot.

At some events, I have seen robots with tiny onboard screens, controlled by a wireless keyboard and mouse. However, in this book, we use a...