This book is well written and includes a parts pack with all the hardware to make a working "Stiquito", a simple 6-legged walking robot. And it's not just for robotics folks -- Stiquito is also excellent for students or hobbyists interested in electronics, or even just model building.

The first 65 pages focus on the "how's" of the project - how electricity works, how engineers tackle the design process, and how the robotic "muscle" technology works.

The next 60 pages handle construction of the robot itself. While the construction isn't complex enough to require this much text, the authors have done an excellent job of ensuring that each step is covered in great detail with photos.

The last 40 pages are dedicated to experimentation with Stiquito. One project is a PC-based controller for the Stiquito, complete with diagrams, instructions, and a program for a parallel port interface to your PC. Another project adds the logic so the Stiquito can walk on its own. (Hardware is not included for these add-on projects.)

The heart of the project is a recent dicovery called nitinol - it's a special alloy wire that contracts when heated. This special property allows very simple robots to be built - thus the Stiquito.

I hope Amazon will post the cover photo soon, because a picture speaks a thousand words - meanwhile, check out the cover of the advanced Stiquito book. Imagine an ant-looking creature with a 4" plastic body and 6 wire legs - that's how simple it is. There's not much more to it except the thin nitinol wires that actuate the legs and the power leads that feed them.

One of the appealing things about Stiquito is how much creativity can be added to the project. Before the base project is even complete, you'll be thinking of ways to enhance it. The advanced companion to this book seems more geared toward these interests.

Separate kits are available for making extra Stiquitos (e.g., for educational courses), as well as for some of the enhancements (e.g., the PC controller interface and the autonomous walking). Parts lists and supplier lists are also included for sourcing materials separately.

A good book to learn robotics for everyone especially those with computer and engineering background. Nonetheless others with enthusiasm, and willingness to experiment would find that this book is unique and excellent in its approach . What makes this book as an excellent introductory reading, is that it comes with kit. Once you've read about stiquito, you can go ahead and build one for yourself. What kind of stiquito personality you want to build will depend on your creativity and willingness to experiment. It also teaches you how to write program to control simple robot using easy to get resources. Robotics is fun indeed.

If you expect the kind of academic style text-book , this one is not the one. Instead you should read another one on the same subject. This however does not meant that this is not a good book. Instead a better one to learn robotic for everyone regardless of their technical background (some enthusiasm, some thinking, patience, preserverance are needed needless to say). What makes this book as an excellent introductory reading, is that it comes with kit. Once you've read about stiquito, you can go ahead and build one for yourself. What kind of stiquito personality you want to build will depend on your creativity and willingness to experiment. If you like this book you should read the other one with advance treatment on the subject.