Domo arigato

Admit it. You want to build a robot. You just saw Star Wars and you still need to get some gifts for your family. I get it. It makes perfect sense to build a robot. When you think about it, who would not want to build a robot?

The problem is that wanting to and having the skills to are very different things. After all, there are a lot of wires, flux capacitors and doodads in there that you have no idea how to connect to each other. Not to mention which end of a soldering iron you should hold. It makes a big difference and I have the scar to prove it. But guess what, the Library has books on all of that.

Make: electronics : learning by discovery

Start with the basics. Positive is +, negative is -.

Make : more electronics

Then go beyond the basics.

Make : Arduino bots and gadgets : learning by discovery

This will give your robot a brain. It won't clean your house, but you have to learn how to crawl before you can clean the house.

Make : sensors

You want your robot to interact appropriately with it's surroundings so it is going to need sensors. Otherwise it will just walk into walls and ignore you when you tell it to clean house, sort of like teenagers.

Make : 3D printing

You might not have all of the gears and exoskeleton parts just lying around. With a 3D printer you can create almost whatever parts you need.

Make: rockets : down-to-earth rocket science

Will your robot have a jet pack or maybe foot thrusters? Yes it will.

Illustrated guide to home chemistry experiments : all lab, no lecture

Make : wearable electronics

If you need a gift for someone with automatonophobia but still want to give them something made of wires and leds this might be good book to look at.

Next year start shopping or building sooner. You are welcome.