Robotics at Home with Raspberry Pi Pico

An excellent candidate for a book prize in hands-on STEAM learning. Highly recommended for aspiring roboticists, hobbyists, and educators seeking a practical yet rigorous introduction to DIY robotics.

The writing is clear, structured, and avoids excessive jargon, making even technical details approachable. The tone is friendly and encouraging, especially for beginners. Chapters flow logically, with thoughtful scaffolding of knowledge and well-organized sections that build on each other. Concepts like PWM, PID control, and PIO are explained progressively and often paired with practical code examples and diagrams

The book is loaded with practical examples, hands-on projects, and real-world tasks (like building sensor brackets or coding Bluetooth teleoperation). It uses ample diagrams and visual aids (e.g., pages 5–10 contain clean illustrations of bus systems and I/O mapping). The scratch-building approach using cardboard mock-ups (as shown on pages 23–25) makes robotics feel approachable without needing 3D printers or laser cutters. The inclusion of a full component shopping list and resources like GitHub and Discord for support enhances accessibility greatly.

The book does a stellar job connecting theory with application—from basic motor control to advanced localization using Monte Carlo methods (Chapter 13). It encourages critical thinking by leading readers through design trade-offs, component choices, and tuning algorithms like PID. It also connects multiple disciplines: coding in Python, mechanical design in FreeCAD, electronics assembly, and algorithm development. It’s up-to-date with relevant tools like CircuitPython and BLE modules and promotes independent exploration, suggesting paths for expanding projects.