Showing titles in Automation & Robotics

As robots are increasingly integrated into modern society—on the battlefield and the road, in business, education, and health—Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times science writer John Markoff searches for an answer to one of the most important questions of our age: will these machines help...

Industrial maintenance technicians keep modern facilities running, and this comprehensive guide gives them the clear, practical foundation they need to master the trade. Gain a deep understanding of mechanical systems, electrical controls, hydraulics, pneumatics, automation principles, and the safety practices that support reliable operation. The book explores how machines behave, how failures develop, and how technicians diagnose problems using observation, measurement, and systematic reasoning. Topics such as lubrication, alignment, vibration, PLC fundamentals, networking, documentation, ...

Shannon Vallor makes a wide-ranging, prophetic, and philosophical case for what AI could be: a way to reclaim our human potential for moral and intellectual growth, rather than lose ourselves in mirrors of the past. Rejecting prophecies of doom, she encourages us to pursue technology that helps us recover our sense of the possible, and with it the confidence and courage to repair a broken world. Vallor calls us to rethink what AI is and can be, and what we want to be with it.

In The Second Machine Age MIT's Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee—two thinkers at the forefront of their field—reveal the forces driving the reinvention of our lives and our economy. As the full impact of digital technologies is felt, we will realize immense bounty in the form of dazzling personal technology, advanced infrastructure, and near-boundless access to the cultural items that enrich our lives. Amid this bounty will also be wrenching change. Recent economic indicators reflect this shift: fewer people are working, and wages are falling even as productivity and profits soar.

As AI becomes smarter and more humanlike, our societies, our economies, and our humanity will undergo the most dramatic changes we've seen since the Agricultural Revolution. Some of these changes will enhance our species. Others may dehumanize us and make us more machinelike in our interactions with others. It's up to us to adapt and determine how we want to live and work. Are you ready? In I, Human psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic offers a guide for reclaiming ourselves in a world in which most of our decisions will be made for us.

"This colorful page-turner puts artificial intelligence into a human perspective. Through the lives of Geoff Hinton and other major players, Metz explains this transformative technology and makes the quest thrilling." —Walter Isaacson, author of The Code Breaker Recipient of starred reviews in...

Im neuen Buch des renommierten Zukunftsforschers und Technologie-Visionärs Ray Kurzweil wird eine faszinierende Vision der kommenden Jahre und Jahrzehnte entworfen – eine Welt, die von KI durchdrungen sein wird. Kurzweil skizziert in diesem intensiven Leseerlebnis eine Zukunft, in der Mensch und Maschine untrennbar miteinander verbunden sind. Eine Zukunft, in der wir unser Bewusstsein auf eine höhere Ebene heben werden, in der wir uns aus virtuellen Neuronen neu erschaffen werden, in der wir länger leben, gesünder und freier sein werden als je zuvor.

Agentic AI is the next big leap in artificial intelligence. Agentic systems don't just respond to commands. They set goals, make decisions, and take initiative without direct human interaction. Sound like a lot to wrap your head around? Fortunately Agentic AI For Dummies is here to help you gain...

Tactical Drone Warfare: Strategy, Innovation, and the Future of Combat In the 21st century, war is no longer defined by boots on the ground or missiles from the sky—it is shaped by circuits, code, and coordinated drone systems. Tactical Drone Warfare is a research-driven, non-fiction defense publication that explores how drone technology is rewriting the rules of battle, logistics, and power projection in conflicts across the globe. Drawing on real-world cases from Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and beyond, this book uncovers how both state and non-state actors are deploying drones for asymmetric ...

Industrial automation keeps modern factories running, and automation controls technicians are at the heart of that work. They wire panels, configure controllers, support robots and drives, and bring complex production lines back to life when something goes wrong. This focused guide is written for people who want to understand what automation controls technicians actually do and how to build a stable, long term career in the field. Conquer the Automation Controls Technician Career walks through the core knowledge behind mechanical systems, electrical and electronic fundamentals, sensors, ...

With so many books and courses online that offer training in PLC programming, new learners/students, plant operators, technicians and engineers aspiring to learn PLCs may get confused where to get started. That is the reason why I came up with this book to help new PLC learners build good foundational knowledge before they embark on a serious PLC programming training. This book starts with a background into Relay control systems to help you appreciate why industries changed their control systems from Relays to PLCs. If you can understand how Relay systems was and is still used in industrial...

As thinking machines make more decisions on our behalf, they can enrich, enable, and influence our lives. The increasing use of AI raises critical questions about our values, cultures, economies, and power relationships. And the answers may depend upon your race, gender, age, behavior, and nationality. In clear and accessible prose, Olaf Groth and Mark Nitzberg explore the history of intelligent technology, revealing how close we are to designing machines that have some sort of consciousness - and that we must now decide how to give those machines a conscience.

😩 Tired of wasting hours on boring, repetitive tasks? 🚀 Wish you could automate your work without writing a single line of code? This short & practical guide is your gateway to n8n, the open-source, no-code automation tool that puts the power of workflows right in your hands. ✨ Unlike closed platforms like Zapier or Make, n8n is self-hosted, fully customizable, and gives you complete control of your data 🔒. It's flexible, powerful, and ready to scale with you. Inside this book, you'll discover: ✅ What n8n is — and why it's a game-changer in workflow automation ⚡ How to ...

There is a robotics revolution underway. A record 3.1 million robots are working in factories right now, doing everything from assembling computers to packing goods and monitoring air quality and performance. A far greater number of smart machines impact our lives in countless other ways—improving the precision of surgeons, cleaning our homes, extending our reach to distant worlds—and we’re on the cusp of even more exciting opportunities.

Insects walk on water, snakes slither, and fish swim. Animals move with astounding grace, speed, and versatility: how do they do it, and what can we learn from them? In How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls, David Hu takes listeners on an accessible, wondrous journey into the world of animal motion. From basement labs at MIT to the rain forests of Panama, Hu shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advantage of physical laws with results that are startling and ingenious.

Electrical control systems power the machines that keep modern industry moving. Conquer the Electrical Controls Technician Exam gives a deep, structured understanding of the components, circuits, and decision-making that shape reliable automated operation. Through clear explanations, the guide builds a strong foundation in relays, contactors, sensors, safety circuits, PLC inputs and outputs, and the interplay between electrical and mechanical systems. The book explores how real-world conditions influence system behavior. Learn how drives respond to loads, how sensors drift over time, how ...

The rise of China's tech companies and intense competition from the sector is just beginning. This will present an ongoing management and strategy challenge for companies for many years to come. Tech Titans of China is the go-to-guide for companies (and those interested in competition from China) seeking to understand China's grand tech ambitions, who the players are, and what their strategy is. Fannin, an expert on China, is an internationally recognized journalist, author, and speaker. In this book, she provides listeners with the ammunition they need to prepare and compete.

In this audiobook, David Gunkel offers a provocative attempt to think about what has been previously regarded as unthinkable: whether and to what extent robots and other technological artifacts of our own making can and should have any claim to moral and legal standing.

The thrilling inside story of the race to build a world-changing artificial superintelligence. As the San Francisco–based tech columnist for The New York Times, Kevin Roose has seen the AI revolution from a front-row seat—and even participated in it: his account of how Microsoft's Bing...

Conquer the Industrial Instrumentation Technician Career gives a clear, practical look at what it really means to work in process plants, power stations, water facilities, and other industrial environments. It walks through the core measurements of pressure, level, flow, and temperature, then shows how those signals move through transmitters, controllers, and final elements to keep complex systems stable and safe. Each chapter focuses on the day-to-day realities of the trade: reading drawings, planning calibrations, isolating instruments, working in hazardous areas, and coordinating with ...