Popular Mechanics Robots: A New Age of Bionics, Drones & Artificial Intelligence

by Popular Mechanics, Daniel H. Wilson (Editor)

Overview

Thanks to film and literature, the idea of robots and artificial intelligence has long intrigued us. The fascination continues with Popular MechanicsRobots, which gathers the very best of the magazine's fantastic robotic coverage and examines the way we live with these machines today—and how we will continue to exist with other advanced technologies in the future. Readers can now discover all varieties of robot, including ones that recognize our faces, gestures, and emotions; drive our cars; serve as highly intelligent personal assistants and medical diagnosticians; go into space; and even become embedded in our architecture and homes. Although robots can inspire both fear and wonder, author David H. Wilson shows how they're an integral part of a wonderful new world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781618371683
Publisher:	Hearst
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	1,033,532
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Daniel H. Wilson is the author of TheNew York Times bestselling Robopocalypse, and its sequel, Robogenesis, as well as seven other books. In 2008, he hosted The Works on the History Channel. He earned a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as Masters degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2015
This anthology collects previously published Popular Mechanics magazine articles about technology, and shoehorns them into somewhat arbitrary categories, applying the term robots liberally to casino surveillance systems, self-healing bridges, and advanced prostheses. This isn't necessarily a criticism, as the publication tends away from overprecision and toward accessibility. The format—a print book about cutting-edge technology, whose content is in several places five years old—is excusable for the same reason. Wilson's notes sprinkled throughout offer relevant updates, and the illustrations and photographs help bring the often unusual inventions to life. While research has continuously advanced in the areas reported on here (most likely particularly in the military applications of artificial intelligence), this compilation effectively provides introductions to them for technophobes or newbies. VERDICT This title will appeal primarily to novice tech users who prefer short reads and others interested enough in new technology to read magazine articles about it but not savvy enough to find more current ones—say, perhaps, via the library's subscription.—Ricardo Laskaris, York Univ. Lib., Toronto

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