Great "physical computing" projects, Android Programming explains super

In addition to Making Things Talk this is another very good book from the series Learning by Discovery.
It also aims at the topic Physical Computing. Physical Computing means that you not only isolated runs a program on a computer or microcontroller, but communicates via sensors and actuators with its environment ultimately therefore the combination of mechanics, electronics and computer science, which is called a training / study by the term mechatronics ,
Mechatronics is usually quite expensive and often open source (open source), what one even painful experiences, when, once again any unit in the car is not working ... ;-)

This book here USER as a basis, the popular open source hardware and software platform Arduino so Mechatronics low cost and with all the necessary information.
It consists of a number of projects that can also be realized successfully without engineering training, and with which one can acquire professional knowledge in the field of mechatronics.
For example, it is a simple project, in which a device is designed and built, which returns a Stalker: This is a small box with an Arduino, an ultrasonic sensor and a vibration actuator (= vibrating alert) that is worn on the back of the belt buckle becomes. The ultrasonic sensor detects a tracker, which is signaled by a vibration alarm.
This simple mechatronic system is really explained very understandable with lots of pictures from A to O.
There follow more complex projects, such as walking robot or even a simple robot soccer.

But what has pleased me most about this book are the chapters on Android programming and the chapter on the control of robots via Bluetooth wireless technology.
I know of no other book in which to create an Android app with Eclipse is simply explained with graphic animation and sound like in this book. In addition to the use of Eclipse as IDE is here is really explains almost every section of the source code.
Moreover is very well explained step by step in a project on how to remotely control a self-built Arduino robot over the sensors of Android smartphones. I'm excited about how well and simply explains this very complex matter.

The book provides absolutely useful information both on the basic level (eg how does a model Servo?) And at a very high level (for example, as are parallel processes organized in an app?).

At Reutlingen University in field of study Mechatronics I recommend this book to my students as a lecturer for the technical introduction to practical projects or theses.

Also for every hobbyist is to bring firstly a very good idea-fund and, secondly, the optimal start a hobby project to work on this book.
It saves an endless research on the Internet and the frustration of having to search for hours for trivial errors. As with any book of this series, there are again more detailed information in Internet (botbook.com). The source codes are there for download, so that you can first of all the project from the book 1: 1 can rebuild, to then develop it step by step his own project.