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In lugnet.technic, Mark Bellis wrote:
> In lugnet.technic, Kevin L. Clague wrote:
> > In lugnet.technic, Mark Bellis wrote:
> > > In lugnet.technic, Kevin L. Clague wrote:
> > > > <snip>
> > > >
> > > > > I'd like to write a book on Lego pneumatics - I have a few ideas already sorted
> > > > > into chapters, such as basics, building blocks and example systems.
> > > > >
> > > > > Mark Bellis
> > > >
> > > > Hi Mark,
> > > > I've thought about this in the past, and ruled it out because it is such a
> > > > specialty. Do you think there is a big enough market to justify a book on this
> > > > topic?
> > > >
> > > > Kevin
> > > Well, there are books about Lego Mindstorms and now a book about Lego trains,
> > > both by AFOLs, so I don't see why not. Chapters may look like this:
> > >
> > > 1. Basics. Components and simple system.
> > > 2. Larger basic systems, up to Backhoe Loader complexity.
> > > 3. Building blocks. The concept of cylinders driving switches. Flip-Flop,
> > > OR/NOR/AND/NAND gate, XOR/XNOR gate.
> > > 4. using the building blocks. steam engine. parity checker. self-centring
> > > pneumatic steering (for JCBs etc...)
> > > 5. Pick and place robot (9 switches, 8 cylinders), including extended flip-flop,
> > > XOR gate and enabling logic for 4 functions with 10-step cycle.
> > > 6. Octopus arm that does four functions then reverses them. 4 switches on arm
> > > and 24 switches on 32x32 logic board!
> > > 7. Modular 6-legged robot. Each leg moves individually forwards then all 6 move
> > > back together. Logic has 6 identical modules and 1 reverser module. Total 44
> > > switches.
> > >
> > > In a book we could only put in example systems, with the aim of getting users to
> > > experiment. However, the investment in tens of Backhoe Loaders would be
> > > prohibitive (except on 3 for 2 at Toys R Us in the UK!)
> > >
> > > The ideas book 8889 had a number of pneumatic models in it, as well as a car
> > > assembly line that very few people would have had enough parts to build, so it's
> > > allowed!
> > >
> > > I think one place where people say Jake's train book has fallen down is that the
> > > instructions for models require specific parts that are hard to obtain in the
> > > colour used in the book. With pneumatic parts, the beams etc... can be any
> > > colour, and the cost is no more prohibitive than for the ideas I'd put in a
> > > trains book of my own! The only specialist parts are all in one set, other than
> > > a £20 car tyre air compressor when you get into repeated cycles of movement!
> > >
> > > I think it would be good for us to write books from our areas of expertise, as a
> > > permanent reference for AFOLs and enthusiastic teenagers alike. Perhaps it is
> > > best to collaborate, though the list of complex models in the back would be
> > > huge! If I did go ahead with a book in the next few years, I'd probably let you
> > > write a chapter on Walkers, since you do a lot of those.
> >
> > That would be my fifth book, and my second that contains pneumatic models. I'd
> > love to do more models based on a single 8455 set. It has enough switches to
> > make a half adder, and some cool walkers. It is a challenge to live within the
> > inventory of a given set, but it can really get the creative juices going.
> >
> > I've done two electromagnetic calculators (one is already in a book), and two
> > kinds of reversible pneumatic engines. I'm just indicating that I do more than
> > pneumatic walkers.
> >
> > >
> > > Mark
> >
> > Kevin
> Yes, I just noticed that it was one of your specialities - obvious due to the
> picture on the Technic newsgroup page.
>
> I also major in trains, which take a lot of time, so I haven't had time to
> develop pneumatics much for a few years. However, the ten 8455s (so far) that
> I've bought recently are part of a plan to push out the boundaries again. I
> might have more time after July, when my MSc course finishes.
>
> The thing is though, 8455s have lots of beams without studs, and ones with studs
> generally seem to be declining. Perhaps I should build more with the beams from
> 8455s. The trouble is, using the right angle brackets to make right angles
> introduces too much flexing into the joints. Beams and plates were much more
> rigid. Rigidity is essential for efficiency, and efficiency increases speed.
>
> I'm looking for applications for large amounts of pneumatic parts, as I can have
> fun playing with a system diagram before building anything. I had a plan to do
> a robot that built things, but the challenge was to find enough for it to do
> that required something new in the logic. I think it would have to do something
> physical, as it's really too slow for computing applications that already have
> fast solutions. I don't yet have a ready-made robot that can build models!
> Perhaps something that could stack 1x1 and 1x2 bricks in tens, as this is quite
> time consuming!
>
> Having done a few books already:
> Do you write it first, then find a publisher?
> How much does the book change once you've submitted it?
> What sort of sales of them have you had?
Syngress found me, and then I co-authored in my first book. It was primarily a
building instruction book, with little freedom, except in the model design
itself. I wrote my first version of LPub for that book.
Syngress had another "10 Cool Robots" book for Mindstorms, but only had 9
robots, so I threw together a chapter on my first successful biped.
The third and fourth books were much more meaningful. Miguel Agullo and I
worked very hard on a book on LEGO CAD tools. Miguel wrote the chapters on
MLCAD, and I wrote about L3P, POV-Ray, LSynth and LPub. We had a lot of control
over this book. It was much more satsifying.
The fourth book was the "building instruction book" I always wanted to write.
LEGO has shown that the building instructions don't need verbiage, but to
understand the science behind the advanced robots we created, verbiage is is a
must. I had the honor to work with Doug Carlson, Mario and Gullio Ferrari, and
Hideaki Yabuki on our Mindstorms Masterpieces book. We had a lot of control
over this book.
Sales of the Powertools book have been the best. The "10 Cool Robots" series
didn't have royalties associated with them. The advances have done a lot to
help expand my modest LEGO collection.
Kevin
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Pneumatics book?
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| (...) Yes, I just noticed that it was one of your specialities - obvious due to the picture on the Technic newsgroup page. I also major in trains, which take a lot of time, so I haven't had time to develop pneumatics much for a few years. However, (...) (20 years ago, 9-Apr-04, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.books)
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