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.

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.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

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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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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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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The Robotics Primer

The Robotics Primer is unique as a principled, pedagogical treatment of the topic that is accessible to a broad audience; the only prerequisites are curiosity and attention. It can be used effectively in an educational setting or more informally for self-instruction. The Robotics Primer is a springboard for readers of all backgrounds—including students taking robotics as an elective outside th…

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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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Additional Robotics Reading

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

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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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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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…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Robot Futures

In Robot Futures, the roboticist Illah Reza Nourbakhsh considers how we will share our world with these creatures, and how our society could change as it incorporates a race of stronger, smarter beings.

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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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Awesome Robotics Projects for Kids: 20 Original STEAM Robots and Circuits to Design and Build (Awesome STEAM Activities for Kids)

Get ready to build all kinds of incredible robots―right in your own home! Designed for young robot builders, these do-it-yourself robotics for kids projects will teach you about science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) as you assemble an amazing collection of real working robots!
From scribblebots to two-legged walkers, this book walks you through robotics for kids, one beaut…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

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Augment your Robotics books

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Started my career in aerospace as a systems engineer before converting to product management at Google. Over my time at NASA, Google, Uber, and others I've built a successful toolkit of approaches to diverse and complicated product problems. I specialize in mentoring career transitions into product management and converting teams …

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Jasmine Lawrence, an accomplished Staff Technical Product Manager and Founder, brings a wealth of experience in developing innovative consumer and developer-focused products. Formerly a Technical Product Manager at NVIDIA and Cruise, she played a key role in advancing the development of autonomous vehicles. With notable roles at Everyday Robots (Google), …

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I'm a technology executive with 18+ years of building teams to launch next-gen products in cutting edge industries - Custom AI Silicon, Datacenter Clusters, 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 …

$180 / month

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Previously at: - AI Product Manager at Synthesia (London): a London-based startup ($90M Series C, Unicorn 🦄) building a Generative AI-based video content creation platform. - Product Manager at Autonomous Driving startups across Silicon Valley and London (Wayve and Deepen AI) - co-Founder of Tactile Robots, an Italian startup designing …

$150 / month


Hi there, my name is Janit Anjaria. I am a technology leader, AI Advisor, Technology and AI Coach, Mentor and a curious people loving person. About me: I have spent more than a decade in the industry and academia working on some of the most challenging and thereby interesting problems …

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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 …

$360 / month

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