Artificial intelligence (AI) Books

Book SynopsisThe classic text on robot manipulators now covers visual control, motion planning and mobile robots too!Based on the successful Modelling and Control of Robot Manipulators by Sciavicco and Siciliano (Springer, 2000), Robotics provides the basic know-how on the foundations of robotics: modelling, planning and control. It has been expanded to include coverage of mobile robots, visual control and motion planning. A variety of problems is raised throughout, and the proper tools to find engineering-oriented solutions are introduced and explained.The text includes coverage of fundamental topics like kinematics, and trajectory planning and related technological aspects including actuators and sensors.To impart practical skill, examples and case studies are carefully worked out and interwoven through the text, with frequent resort to simulation. In addition, end-of-chapter exercises are proposed, and the book is accompanied by an electronic solutions manual containing the MATLAB® code for computer problems; this is available free of charge to those adopting this volume as a textbook for courses.Trade ReviewRobotics: Modelling, Planning and Control is a book that comprehensively covers all aspects of robotic fundamentals. It is particularly an excellent text for graduate educators, as it covers the fundamentals of the field with a rigorous formalism that is well blended with the technological aspects of robotics. The text covers in detail the theory of manipulators and wheeled robots starting with kinematics, dynamics and motion control, as well interaction with the environment through perception - force and vision sensors. The book is written by technical authorities in the field, and will be in invaluable addition to graduate education as well as a useful guide for industrial practitioners. Alexander Zelinsky, CSIRO, Australia Robotics is a diverse field bringing together disparate areas from computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. This book is an integrative but rigorous treatment of all the relevant concepts, with an eye toward modern, practical applications making it an excellent choice for a first year graduate course in robotics. Vijay Kumar, University of Pennsylvania This book provides rock-solid foundations for the study of classical mechanics and control of robots, with the authoritative character of a reference where you can surely find the correct expression and the rigorous derivation of the results you need. On top of this, new chapters on motion planning, visual servoing, and mobile robot control provide support to teaching wider and more interdisciplinary aspects of robotics, and open up vistas that will certainly inspire a new generation of scholars to embrace this incredibly rich and fertile research field. Antonio Bicchi, University of Pisa, Italy This book offers a well-balanced and intellectually satisfying treatment of robot mechanics, planning, and control – from the choice and sequence of topics, to the level of detail in the analysis, and the clear connections made between the latest technologies and the theoretical foundations of robotics, this book is an essential element in the library of every aspiring young robotics researcher. Frank Chongwoo Park, Seoul National University Robotics: Modeling, Planning and Control is a historiography from the materialistic view of robotics. Authors clearly explain physical and mathematical foundation to understand the most up-to-date robotics, so faithfully to bibliography and terminology in robotics. Unquestionably, the best textbook for senior students and graduate students and the closest reference book for engineers and scientists! Yoshihiko Nakamura, University of Tokyo Exceptional! A text with such a span of robotics fundamentals and advanced research in both manipulation and mobility, and a treatment that creatively balances mathematical depth and physical intuition – a fresh and certainly unique reference for researchers and engineers in the field of robotics. Oussama Khatib, Stanford University Certainly because of its youth, robotics is not always considered as a discipline as such. It is often introduced as a technological "area" integrating various aspects of mechanics, automatic control and computer science. Such a dispersed view is prejudicial for students. The book by Siciliano et al. achieves the introduction of the basic concepts in a coherent, self-contained and didactic way. In that sense, when reading Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control the reader – from the undergraduate student to the researcher – understands that a new discipline is born, with its own foundations. Jean-Paul Laumond, LAAS-CNRSTable of ContentsKinematics.- Differential Kinematics and Statics.- Trajectory Planning.- Actuators and Sensors.- Control Architecture.- Dynamics.- Motion Control.- Force Control.- Visual Servoing.- Mobile Robots.- Motion Planning.

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Book SynopsisAt the core of many engineering problems is the solution of sets of equa­ tions and inequalities, and the optimization of cost functions. Unfortunately, except in special cases, such as when a set of equations is linear in its un­ knowns or when a convex cost function has to be minimized under convex constraints, the results obtained by conventional numerical methods are only local and cannot be guaranteed. This means, for example, that the actual global minimum of a cost function may not be reached, or that some global minimizers of this cost function may escape detection. By contrast, interval analysis makes it possible to obtain guaranteed approximations of the set of all the actual solutions of the problem being considered. This, together with the lack of books presenting interval techniques in such a way that they could become part of any engineering numerical tool kit, motivated the writing of this book. The adventure started in 1991 with the preparation by Luc Jaulin of his PhD thesis, under Eric Walter's supervision. It continued with their joint supervision of Olivier Didrit's and Michel Kieffer's PhD theses. More than two years ago, when we presented our book project to Springer, we naively thought that redaction would be a simple matter, given what had already been achieved . . .Trade ReviewFrom the reviews:"Applied Interval Analysis is the right book at the right time to move computing with intervals into the mainstream of engineering, financial, and scientific computing."G. William Walster, Interval Technology Engineering Manager, Sun Microsystems and Member of the Editorial Board of Reliable ComputingTable of ContentsI. Introduction.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1 What Are the Key Concepts?.- 1.2 How Did the Story Start?.- 1.3 What About Complexity?.- 1.4 How is the Book Organized?.- II. Tools.- 2. Interval Analysis.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Operations on Sets.- 2.2.1 Purely set-theoretic operations.- 2.2.2 Extended operations.- 2.2.3 Properties of set operators.- 2.2.4 Wrappers.- 2.3 Interval Analysis.- 2.3.1 Intervals.- 2.3.2 Interval computation.- 2.3.3 Closed intervals.- 2.3.4 Interval vectors.- 2.3.5 Interval matrices.- 2.4 Inclusion Functions.- 2.4.1 Definitions.- 2.4.2 Natural inclusion functions.- 2.4.3 Centred inclusion functions.- 2.4.4 Mixed centred inclusion functions.- 2.4.5 Taylor inclusion functions.- 2.4.6 Comparison.- 2.5 Inclusion Tests.- 2.5.1 Interval Booleans.- 2.5.2 Tests.- 2.5.3 Inclusion tests for sets.- 2.6 Conclusions.- 3. Subpavings.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Set Topology.- 3.2.1 Distances between compact sets.- 3.2.2 Enclosure of compact sets between subpavings.- 3.3 Regular Subpavings.- 3.3.1 Pavings and subpavings.- 3.3.2 Representing a regular subpaving as a binary tree.- 3.3.3 Basic operations on regular subpavings.- 3.4 Implementation of Set Computation.- 3.4.1 Set inversion.- 3.4.2 Image evaluation.- 3.5 Conclusions.- 4. Contractors.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Basic Contractors.- 4.2.1 Finite subsolvers.- 4.2.2 Intervalization of finite subsolvers.- 4.2.3 Fixed-point methods.- 4.2.4 Forward—backward propagation.- 4.2.5 Linear programming approach.- 4.3 External Approximation.- 4.3.1 Principle.- 4.3.2 Preconditioning.- 4.3.3 Newton contractor.- 4.3.4 Parallel linearization.- 4.3.5 Using formal transformations.- 4.4 Collaboration Between Contractors.- 4.4.1 Principle.- 4.4.2 Contractors and inclusion functions.- 4.5 Contractors for Sets.- 4.5.1 Definitions.- 4.5.2 Sets defined by equality and inequality constraints.- 4.5.3 Improving contractors using local search.- 4.6 Conclusions.- 5. Solvers.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Solving Square Systems of Non-linear Equations.- 5.3 Characterizing Sets Defined by Inequalities.- 5.4 Interval Hull of a Set Defined by Inequalities.- 5.4.1 First approach.- 5.4.2 Second approach.- 5.5 Global Optimization.- 5.5.1 The Moore—Skelboe algorithm.- 5.5.2 Hansen’s algorithm.- 5.5.3 Using interval constraint propagation.- 5.6 Minimax Optimization.- 5.6.1 Unconstrained case.- 5.6.2 Constrained case.- 5.6.3 Dealing with quantifiers.- 5.7 Cost Contours.- 5.8 Conclusions.- III. Applications.- 6. Estimation.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Parameter Estimation Via Optimization.- 6.2.1 Least-square parameter estimation in compartmental modelling.- 6.2.2 Minimax parameter estimation.- 6.3 Parameter Bounding.- 6.3.1 Introduction.- 6.3.2 The values of the independent variables are known.- 6.3.3 Robustification against outliers.- 6.3.4 The values of the independent variables are uncertain.- 6.3.5 Computation of the interval hull of the posterior feasible set.- 6.4 State Bounding.- 6.4.1 Introduction.- 6.4.2 Bounding the initial state.- 6.4.3 Bounding all variables.- 6.4.4 Bounding by constraint propagation.- 6.5 Conclusions.- 7. Robust Control.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Stability of Deterministic Linear Systems.- 7.2.1 Characteristic polynomial.- 7.2.2 Routh criterion.- 7.2.3 Stability degree.- 7.3 Basic Tests for Robust Stability.- 7.3.1 Interval polynomials.- 7.3.2 Polytope polynomials.- 7.3.3 Image-set polynomials.- 7.3.4 Conclusion.- 7.4 Robust Stability Analysis.- 7.4.1 Stability domains.- 7.4.2 Stability degree.- 7.4.3 Value-set approach.- 7.4.4 Robust stability margins.- 7.4.5 Stability radius.- 7.5 Controller Design.- 7.6 Conclusions.- 8. Robotics.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Forward Kinematics Problem for Stewart—Gough Platforms.- 8.2.1 Stewart—Gough platforms.- 8.2.2 From the frame of the mobile plate to that of the base.- 8.2.3 Equations to be solved.- 8.2.4 Solution.- 8.3 Path Planning.- 8.3.1 Graph discretization of configuration space.- 8.3.2 Algorithms for finding a feasible path.- 8.3.3 Test case.- 8.4 Localization and Tracking of a Mobile Robot.- 8.4.1 Formulation of the static localization problem.- 8.4.2 Model of the measurement process.- 8.4.3 Set inversion.- 8.4.4 Dealing with outliers.- 8.4.5 Static localization example.- 8.4.6 Tracking.- 8.4.7 Example.- 8.5 Conclusions.- IV. Implementation.- 9. Automatic Differentiation.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Forward and Backward Differentiations.- 9.2.1 Forward differentiation.- 9.2.2 Backward differentiation.- 9.3 Differentiation of Algorithms.- 9.3.1 First assumption.- 9.3.2 Second assumption.- 9.3.3 Third assumption.- 9.4 Examples.- 9.4.1 Example 1.- 9.4.2 Example 2.- 9.5 Conclusions.- 10. Guaranteed Computation with Floating-point Numbers.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Floating-point Numbers and IEEE 754.- 10.2.1 Representation.- 10.2.2 Rounding.- 10.2.3 Special quantities.- 10.3 Intervals and IEEE 754.- 10.3.1 Machine intervals.- 10.3.2 Closed interval arithmetic.- 10.3.3 Handling elementary functions.- 10.3.4 Improvements.- 10.4 Interval Resources.- 10.5 Conclusions.- 11. Do It Yourself.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Notions of C++.- 11.2.1 Program structure.- 11.2.2 Standard types.- 11.2.3 Pointers.- 11.2.4 Passing parameters to a function.- 11.3 INTERVAL Class.- 11.3.1 Constructors and destructor.- 11.3.2 Other member functions.- 11.3.3 Mathematical functions.- 11.4 Intervals with PROFIL/BIAS.- 11.4.1 BIAS.- 11.4.2 PROFIL.- 11.4.3 Getting started.- 11.5 Exercises on Intervals.- 11.6 Interval Vectors.- 11.6.1 INTERVAL_VECTOR class.- 11.6.2 Constructors, assignment and function call operators.- 11.6.3 Friend functions.- 11.6.4 Utilities.- 11.7 Vectors with PROFIL/BIAS.- 11.8 Exercises on Interval Vectors.- 11.9 Interval Matrices.- 11.10 Matrices with PROFIL/BIAS.- 11.11 Exercises on Interval Matrices.- 11.12 Regular Subpavings with PROFIL/BIAS.- 11.12.1 NODE class.- 11.12.2 Set inversion with subpavings.- 11.12.3 Image evaluation with subpavings.- 11.12.4 System simulation and state estimation with subpavings.- 11.13 Error Handling.- 11.13.1 Using exit.- 11.13.2 Exception handling.- 11.13.3 Mathematical errors.- References.

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Book SynopsisMobile Robotics: A Practical Introduction (2nd edition) is an excellent introduction to the foundations and methods used for designing completely autonomous mobile robots. A fascinating, cutting-edge, research topic, autonomous mobile robotics is now taught in more and more universities. In this book you are introduced to the fundamental concepts of this complex field via twelve detailed case studies that show how to build and program real working robots. Topics covered in clued learning, autonomous navigation in unmodified, noisy and unpredictable environments, and high fidelity robot simulation. This new edition has been updated to include a new chapter on novelty detection, and provides a very practical introduction to mobile robotics for a general scientific audience. It is essential reading for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students and postgraduate students studying robotics, artificial intelligence, cognitive science and robot engineering. The update and overview of core concepts in mobile robotics will assist and encourage practitioners of the field and set challenges to explore new avenues of research in this exiting field. The author is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Essex. "A very fine overview over the relevant problems to be solved in the attempt to bring intelligence to a moving vehicle." Professor Dr. Ewald von Puttkamer, University of Kaiserslautern "Case studies show ways of achieving an impressive repertoire of kinds of learned behaviour, navigation and map-building. The book is an admirable introduction to this modern approach to mobile robotics and certainly gives a great deal of food for thought. This is an important and though-provoking book." Alex M. Andrew in Kybernetes Vol 29 No 4 and Robotica Vol 18Trade ReviewFrom the reviews of the second edition: "The book is an admirable introduction to its modern approach to mobile robotics and certainly gives a great deal of food for thought. … Like its first edition, this is an important and thought-provoking book." (Alex M. Andrew, Robotica, Vol. 22 (347), 2004) "Mobile Robotics: A Practical Introduction (2nd edition) is an excellent introduction to the foundations and methods used for designing completely autonomous mobile robots. … provides a very practical introduction to mobile robotics for a general scientific audience. It is essential reading for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students and postgraduate students studying robotics, artificial intelligence, cognitive science and robot engineering. … is an admirable introduction to this modern approach to mobile robotics and certainly gives a great deal of food for thought." (Alex M. Andrew, Artificial Life & Robotics, Vol. 7 (4), 2004) Table of ContentsIntroduction Foundations Robot Hardware Robot Learning: Making Sense of Raw Sensor Data Navigation Novelty Detection Simulation: Modelling Robot-Environment Interaction Analysis of Robot Behaviour Outlook

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Book Synopsis'Artificial intelligence is going to have a massive impact on everyone’s lives... an accessible and sensible read that helps demystify AI' Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and star of Dragon's Den'Nigel Toon is a visionary leader in the field of artificial intelligence... a must-read' Marc Tremblay, Distinguished Engineer, MicrosoftThose who understand how AI thinks are about to win big.We are used to thinking of computers as being a step up from calculators - very good at storing information, and maybe even at playing a logical game like chess. But up to now they haven't been able to think in ways that are intuitive, or respond to questions as a human might. All that has changed, dramatically, in the past few years.Our search engines are becoming answer engines. Artificial intelligence is already revolutionising sectors from education to healthcare to the creative arts. But how does an AI understand sentiment or context? How does it play and win games that have an almost infinite number of moves? And how can we work with AI to produce insights and innovations that are beyond human capacity, from writing code in an instant to unfolding the elaborate 3D puzzles of proteins?We stand at the brink of a historic change that will disrupt society and at the same time create enormous opportunities for those who understand how AI thinks. Nigel Toon shows how we train AI to train itself, so that it can paint images that have never existed before or converse in any language. In doing so he reveals the strange and fascinating ways that humans think, too, as we learn how to live in a world shared by machine intelligences of our own creation.Trade ReviewFew books are more timely than How AI Thinks, an accessible guide that walks the reader through the technology’s developmental history right back to the days before the computer... This is a fascinating read. -- Simon Hunt * Evening Standard *I believe that AI is going to have a massive impact on everyone’s lives; it’s such a hugely important topic that we can’t just leave it to technologists and governments to think about. Business people, teachers, students and parents - everyone needs to learn more about it. In How AI Thinks, Nigel Toon provides us with an accessible and sensible read that helps demystify AI and lets us all understand more about this incredibly powerful tool. -- Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and star of Dragon's DenNigel Toon is not only a visionary leader in the field of artificial intelligence, but also a captivating storyteller who takes us on a journey through his own fascinating history and the evolution of our young industry. He has a gift for explaining complex concepts in simple terms, making this book accessible and engaging for anyone interested in AI. He also offers a prescriptive and optimistic view of the future of AI, showing how it can transform our lives and society for the better. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the past, present and future of artificial intelligence. -- Marc Tremblay PhD, Distinguished Engineer, MicrosoftAn insightful, informative, inspiring book which takes the reader on a journey of discovery, it ultimately paints a hopeful and reasoned vision of how humanity can move on from a position of fear and trepidation, and embrace AI, deriving profound benefit from all it makes possible. Nigel has a skill in taking highly technical content and making AI not just comprehensible, but also engaging. -- Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of BristolAs a business leader, it was great to have all the strands that have created AI pulled together. Nigel Toon synthesizes everything so clearly, simply and in such an inspiring way. How AI Thinks delivers the perspective that leaders and politicians need so that they can regulate AI well. -- Sir Andrew MacKenzie, Chairman of Shell

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Book SynopsisOver the next twenty years, the presence of robots will dramatically increase in our daily lives. Robots will serve as maids, gardeners, companions, waiters, security guards, nurses, teachers, playmates, receptionists, chauffeurs and prostitutes – to name only a few roles they will assume. These robots will be intelligent, autonomous, communicative, emotional, and continually progressing in their abilities.This book provides an in-depth look at how American consumers will react to the significant social, economic and marketplace changes that will be brought about by the robot revolution. Our insights come from national surveys of over 2,700 Americans, as well as a thorough review of existing academic research and expert predictions. We provide suggestions for publically-acceptable robot roles, robot design and the optimal marketplace approaches for successful human-robot interactions. Ready or not, it’s coming. And sooner than you might think.

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