leJOS新書-Brain Bagnall"Intelligence Unleashed: Creating LEGO NXT Robots with Java"

昨天收到 Amazon DM，leJOS發展團隊的關鍵人物 Brain Bagnall 在繼 2007年的“Maximum LEGO NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains”之後又有一本關於leJOS project的新書上市。



新書書名為：

Intelligence Unleashed: Creating LEGO NXT Robots with Java

在Amazon上的內容介紹為：

With user-friendly instructions for the leJOS NXJ software, this accessible manual is the perfect launch into LEGO Mindstorms NXT, an incredible kit for building and programming robots. Using Java, the most popular and easy-to-use programming language available, this book helps engineers and amateurs alike design and build their own customized robots, programmed however they desire. A diverse set of projects is accompanied by building tips, programming code, complete 3D-rendered building instructions, and hundreds of illustrations. The NXT intelligent brick’s Bluetooth capabilities are introduced, as are the newest available parts, from GPS to the RFID sensor, in this useful handbook that serves as the perfect compliment to the LEGO NXT kit.

以上看不出來有什麼吸引人的章節，倒是leJOS官網的簡介，還較能瞭解這本新書的重點內容：
As the title suggests, the projects focus on robotics intelligence and advanced capabilities: Segway, Ballbot, Monte Carlo localization, realtime map display, outdoor GPS, robotic arm, the new navigation model, A* Search, image analysis and much more! There are 29 chapters with complete plans for 10 unique robots.

前一本書在Amazon的書評有一些負面的意見，主要原因是當時leJOS還在發展階段，版本尚未穩定，部份內容並未能與實際的最新版本同步，造成讀者使用上的困擾。
之後有了第二版的上市消息，不過預購之後等了將近兩年還是無疾而終，如今這本書能夠上市倒還真的有購買的衝動，只是需要衡量有沒有多餘的時間能夠再次投入。

物件導向語言，個人覺得是最適合來建構機器人行為的發展平台，雖然有點門檻，不過深入研究之後後續的應用就無限寬廣了。
目前市面上的相關書籍並不多，熱情的ＣＡＶＥ團隊在去年也出版了一本“

機器人程式設計與實作：使用Java

”，曾獲贈一本，目前當作工具書用途，還蠻實用的。