Mechanical Devices for the Electronics Experimenter

As I understand it, Rorabaugh wrote this book as a supplementary resource for robotics hobbyists, rather than as a primary tool meant to stand on its own. It is valuable within this context. If you have a background in basic electronics and robotics, or are reading this book concurrently with others in these areas, Rorabaugh's book will make sense and add to your understanding. Yes, it is true that I have seen clearer discussions of vector math in other books. The examples on pages 25 and 89 are not very clear. Rorabaugh uses terms like 'annulus' (p. 108) without explaining them ('annulus' refers to any ring or ringlike mark), and on p. 109, he refers to planetary gear trains, which are not described and explained until p. 118. All this being said, for those interested in topics such as levers, gears, wheels and pulleys, encoders, solenoids, springs, and linkages, Rorabaugh will provide you with the introductory theory, formulas, and design ideas you are seeking. I thought the section on pneumatics was good, and I found materials in that section that I have not seen duplicated elsewhere. There are plenty of drawings, and the explanations are concise. You can spend your time hunting through various engineering texts and scattered Web sites and numerous other places for the same material, or you can get a concise introduction to these topics in this one book, and use it as the basis for learning more. I opted for the book, and I am pleased with my decision.

The book is a great intro to basic mechanical design needed to make simple devices with DC motors, gears, pullies, and pneumatic pistons. The author covers the theory in an easy to understand fashion in a very practical way. I use it in my freshmen level design class, where students build simple robots.