Master Robotics Engineering
Through Hands-On Challenges
Stop watching tutorials. Start building real control systems, kinematics solvers, and autonomous pipelines with ROS 2, Gazebo, and C++ — one exercise at a time.
Why This Workbook Will
Transform Your Skills
Learn by Doing, Not Just Reading
Every chapter is a structured challenge that forces you to write real code, simulate real physics, and debug real systems — no passive tutorials.
Industry-Standard Tools from Day One
Work with ROS 2 Humble, Gazebo, RViz2, and modern C++/Python — the exact stack used in professional robotics teams worldwide.
Build a Portfolio That Gets You Hired
Complete projects in kinematics, control, and perception that you can showcase to employers as proof of your engineering ability.
Bridge Theory and Practice
Write your own forward and inverse kinematics solvers, tune cascade PID controllers, and implement visual servoing — no black boxes.
A Structured Journey
from Foundations to Autonomy
Setting Up Your Robotics Workbench
Spin up a reproducible Docker development environment with ROS 2 Humble, Gazebo, and RViz2 — your sandbox for every exercise in the book.
ROS 2 Communication Patterns
Master the nervous system of your robot: build publishers, subscribers, services, and action clients that talk to each other reliably.
Launching and Configuring Simulations
Bring your robot to life in Gazebo. Write launch files, set up worlds, and spawn models with realistic physics.
Inspecting Your Robot with RViz2 and TF2
Visualize sensor data, debug coordinate frames, and understand how every link in your robot relates to every other.
Forward Kinematics
Code the mathematical relationship between joint angles and end-effector pose — no libraries, just geometry and C++/Python.
Inverse Kinematics
Solve the harder problem: given a desired gripper pose, compute the joint angles that get you there. Implement numerical solvers from scratch.
Trajectory Generation
Plan smooth, time-parameterized paths in joint space using cubic polynomials — essential for jerk-free motion.
Robot Description and ros2_control
Write URDF files and configure the ros2_control framework to interface your simulated robot with low-level controllers.
Low-Level Joint Control
Implement position and velocity controllers that command individual joints with precision.
Trajectory Execution with ros2_control
Connect your planned trajectories to the hardware interface and watch your robot execute complex motions.
Task-Space Control
Move beyond joint space — regulate the end-effector pose directly using operational space control techniques.
Advanced PID Tuning
Master cascade control architectures, anti-windup strategies, and practical tuning methods for stable, responsive systems.
Force/Torque Sensing & Impedance
Make your robot compliant and safe by integrating force-torque sensors and implementing impedance control laws.
Real-Time Control Loops in C++
Write deterministic, hard real-time control nodes in C++ that meet the strict timing demands of industrial robots.
System Identification and Calibration
Learn to identify unknown plant parameters and calibrate your robot's dynamic model for accurate simulation and control.
Model-Based Control
Implement computed torque control and feedforward strategies that leverage your robot's dynamic model for superior performance.
Collision Avoidance
Build self-collision checking and environment-aware motion planning to keep your robot and its surroundings safe.
Visual Servoing
Close the loop with camera feedback — implement image-based visual servoing to guide your robot using vision.
Building a Pick-and-Place Pipeline
Integrate everything: perception, planning, control, and grasping into a fully autonomous industrial workflow.
Portfolio Assembly and Interviews
Package your projects into a compelling portfolio and practice the exact system-design and algorithmic questions asked by top employers.
Choose Your Format
Digital Edition (Kindle)
- Complete 20-chapter workbook
- Instant delivery to your Kindle device or app
- Searchable text and adjustable font sizes
Paperback Workbook
- Complete 20-chapter workbook
- Physical copy shipped to your door
- Write notes and work through exercises directly on the page
- Physical copy for hands-on annotation
What Early Readers
Are Saying
This workbook single-handedly got me out of tutorial hell. I went from copying ROS commands to writing my own inverse kinematics solver and tuning a cascade PID controller in two weeks. The exercises are challenging but never leave you stranded.
As a self-taught developer transitioning into robotics, I needed something that bridged the gap between theory and real code. This book is exactly that — every chapter forced me to build something that actually works in simulation. My interviewers were impressed by the pick-and-place pipeline I built from Chapter 19.
I've read a dozen robotics textbooks, but this is the first one that feels like an apprenticeship. The progression from kinematics to real-time control to visual servoing is seamless, and the career chapter alone is worth the price. I recommend it to every new hire on my team.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m comfortable with basic programming but new to robotics. Is this workbook right for me?
Do I need a physical robot or expensive hardware to complete the exercises?
How is this book different from other ROS or robotics textbooks?
Does the book cover ROS 1 or ROS 2?
Don't Just Learn About Robots —
Build the Software That Commands Them
Join thousands of engineers who have moved from passive learning to active system building. Grab your copy of the Robotics Workbook and start engineering your future today.
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