If you're fascinated by electronics and mechanics, this hands-on tour of the junction where they meet will bring you hours of fun and learning. Noted electronics author Newton Braga's Mechatronics for the Evil Genius guides you step by step through 25 complete, intriguing, yet inexpensive projects developed especially for this book.

You will build your own mechanical race car, combat robot, ionic motor, mechatronic head, light beam remote control, and 20 other entertaining learning projects that take you to the heart of mechatronics.

More than just hours of entertainment, these stimulating projects provide a solid grounding in mechatronics, the discipline at the core of robotics where electronics, mechanics, and other sciences merge. Each experiment builds on those before it so you develop a hands-on, practical understanding of mechatronics. You don't need to know electronics or mechanics to get started. But by the end, you'll be showing off your own exciting projects!

MECHATRONICS FOR THE EVIL GENIUS:

• Introduces you to mechatronics step-by-step -- you don't need to be a electromechanical whiz to get started, but you will be when you're finished
• Teaches all the skills you need for the projects, including how to solder, recognize components, and read schematics
• Provides complete lists of tools and parts -- all of them inexpensive and easily obtained
• Vividly explains the mechanics, electronics, and science underlying each project
• Gives you fully illustrated, step-by-step directions that build your skills, one small increment at a time
• Provides directions for 25 tantalizing projects, including a robotic arm, an electronic cannon, a coin tosser, an analog computer, and many more
• Helps you develop skills you can bring to other hobby projects, such as more sophisticated robots
• Encourages you to improvise with secondary components to devise your own unique creations
• Suggests related activities for customization and going steps beyond