Top Robotics books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Robotics books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Robotics

Understanding the concepts of Robotics starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control

Robotics provides the basic know-how on the foundations of robotics: modelling, planning and control. The text develops around a core of consistent and rigorous formalism with fundamental and technological material giving rise naturally and with gradually increasing difficulty to more advanced considerations.

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Geometric Fundamentals of Robotics

The distinguishing feature of this book is that it introduces mathematical tools, especially geometric ones, for solving problems in robotics. In particular, Lie groups and allied algebraic and geometric concepts are presented in a comprehensive manner to an audience interested in robotics.

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Springer Handbook of Robotics

Unlike other handbooks that focus on industrial applications, the Springer Handbook of Robotics incorporates these new developments. Just like all Springer Handbooks, it is utterly comprehensive, edited by internationally renowned experts, and replete with contributions from leading researchers from around the world.

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The LEGO Power Functions Idea Book, Vol. 2: Cars and Contraptions

This second volume of The LEGO Power Functions Idea Book, Cars and Contraptions, showcases small projects to build with LEGO Technic gears, motors, gadgets, and other moving elements. You’ll find hundreds of clever, buildable mechanisms, each one demonstrating a key building technique or mechanical principle.
You’ll learn to build four-wheel drive cars, adorable walking ‘bots, steerable tan…

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Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

How will Artificial Intelligence affect crime, war, justice, jobs, society and our very sense of being human? The rise of AI has the potential to transform our future more than any other technology—and there’s nobody better qualified or situated to explore that future than Max Tegmark, an MIT professor who’s helped mainstream research on how to keep AI beneficial.

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Mechanics of Robotic Manipulation

Mechanics of Robotic Manipulation addresses one form of robotic manipulation, moving objects, and the various processes involved—grasping, carrying, pushing, dropping, throwing, and so on. Unlike most books on the subject, it focuses on manipulation rather than manipulators.

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Additional Robotics Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Robotics, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Make: Electronics: Learning by Discovery: A hands-on primer for the new electronics enthusiast

Make: Electronics explores the properties and applications of discrete components that are the fundamental building blocks of circuit design. Understanding resistors, capacitors, transistors, inductors, diodes, and integrated circuit chips is essential even when using microcontrollers. Make: Electronics teaches the fundamentals and also provides advice on the tools and supplies that are necess…

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Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Volume 1: Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Switches, Encoders, Relays, Transistors

Want to know how to use an electronic component? This first book of a three-volume set includes key information on electronics parts for your projects―complete with photographs, schematics, and diagrams. You’ll learn what each one does, how it works, why it’s useful, and what variants exist. No matter how much you know about electronics, you’ll find fascinating details you’ve never come across…

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Build a Drone: A Step-by-Step Guide to Designing, Constructing, and Flying Your Very Own Drone

Whether you plan on using drones for recreation or a more serious purpose (from search and rescue through farming to scanning construction work on a high-rise apartment buildings), Build a Drone will make sure that you not only understand how to construct a drone, but the proper and safe ways to maintain and handle them.
Within the last couple of years, the usage of drones in both the publi…

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Introduction to Robotics: Mechanics and Control (3rd Edition)

Blending traditional mechanical engineering material with computer science and control theoretical concepts, the text covers a range of topics, including rigid-body transformations, forward and inverse positional kinematics, velocities and Jacobians of linkages, dynamics, linear and non-linear control, force control methodologies, mechanical design aspects, and robotic programming.

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Foundations of Robotics: A Multidisciplinary Approach With Python and Ros

It is written for students of all ages and backgrounds who want to learn about the broad fundamentals of robotics. This includes artists, designers, and writers who want to learn more about the technical workings of robots, and engineers who want to learn more about the cultural history of robots.

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Learning ROS for Robotics Programming

This updated edition will help you to work with ROS Hydro and teach you how to create, visualize, and process point cloud information from different sensors. This is a hands-on guide to the fascinating world of robotics which will help you get to grips with controlling and planning the motion of robotic arms with multiple joints using MoveIt.

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This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

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I’m a 3x startup founder (2x venture-backed) with deep experience building companies from research to market. My first startup spun out of my PhD in robotics and machine learning, giving me first-hand insight into turning cutting-edge research into real products and businesses. Moving from Australia to the US to found …

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I'm a technology executive with 17+ years of building teams to launch next-gen products in cutting edge industries. My key areas are AI Hardware, Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics & Consumer Electronics. I've worked globally, directly managed global teams, and empowered teams to launch breakthrough products. I have successfully up-skilled and enriched …

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