Humanoid Robots with AI and Simulation
Humanoid Robots with AI and Simulation
The Complete Guide to Designing Humanoid Robotics and AI Systems
About the Book
Humanoid Robotics: From Design to Deployment
Robotics is no longer child’s play. The real breakthroughs don’t come from flashy demos or science fiction fantasies. They come from the hard, mathematical truths that govern how machines move, think, and interact with the world.
That’s exactly what this book delivers. Not hype. Not watered-down explanations. But the rigorous foundations of humanoid robotics—laid out with the equations, models, and theory you need to understand the field at a serious level.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- The mechanical and electrical principles that define balance, power, and coordination in humanoids.
 - The mathematics of motion—kinematics, dynamics, and control systems that explain why a robot can or cannot walk.
 - The frameworks of intelligence—ROS/ROS2, simulation, reinforcement learning, and behavior architectures, grounded in theory.
 - The science of perception—computer vision, SLAM, and sensor fusion analyzed through formulas and rigorous models.
 - The wider implications—ethics, safety, and the theoretical challenges of deploying humanoids in real society.
 
This is not a casual overview. It is a serious academic text, built for readers who demand depth, precision, and intellectual challenge. If you want the entertainment value of sci-fi, look elsewhere. If you want to understand humanoid robotics at its core—this book is your roadmap.
The theory is here. The formulas are here. The future belongs to those who master them.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to Robotics and NVIDIA Tools
Section 1. The Evolution of Robotics
- History of robotics
 - Modern trends in robotics
 - Rise of humanoid robots
 - Ethical and societal implications
 
Section 2. NVIDIA Robotics Ecosystem
- Overview of Isaac Sim
 - Introduction to GROOT for Behavior Trees
 - Role of Omniverse in robotics
 - Key features of NVIDIA SDK
 
Section 3. Preparing Your Development Environment
- System requirements
 - Installing Isaac Sim and SDK
 - Setting up GROOT and Omniverse
 - First steps: Running a simulation example
 
Chapter 2. Anatomy of Humanoid Robots
Section 1. Mechanical Anatomy
- Skeletal structure of humanoid robots
 - Actuators and their applications
 - Degrees of freedom in humanoid robots
 - Challenges in humanoid balance
 
Section 2. Electrical Components
- Sensors and their placement
 - Power systems: Batteries vs wired
 - Microcontrollers and processors
 - Communication systems
 
Section 3. Integration of Mechanical and Electrical Systems
- Synchronization challenges
 - Designing for efficiency
 - Maintenance considerations
 - Troubleshooting common issues
 
Chapter 3. Fundamentals of Mechanical Design
Section 1. Tools for Mechanical Design
- CAD software overview
 - Using Omniverse for mechanical simulation
 - Practical design tips for humanoids
 - Case study: Building a robotic hand
 
Section 2. Materials and Fabrication
- Structural materials for robotics
 - 3D printing and CNC machining
 - Balancing strength and flexibility
 - Environmental considerations
 
Section 3. Assembly and Testing
- Assembling mechanical components
 - Stress testing the framework
 - Troubleshooting mechanical faults
 - Real-world challenges in assembly
 
Chapter 4. Electrical Engineering for Robotics
Section 1. Power Systems
- Choosing a power source
 - Managing battery life
 - Safety in electrical design
 - Testing and monitoring power systems
 
Section 2. Sensor Integration
- Types of sensors (vision, IMUs, etc.)
 - Sensor calibration techniques
 - Data acquisition and processing
 - Real-world case study: Obstacle detection
 
Section 3. Control Systems
- Basics of motor control
 - Closed-loop vs open-loop systems
 - Real-time data processing
 - Challenges in humanoid motion control
 
Chapter 5. Software Fundamentals
Section 1. Introduction to Robotics Operating Systems
- Overview of ROS and ROS2
 - Setting up ROS for humanoid robots
 - Basic ROS nodes and topics
 - Debugging with ROS tools
 
Section 2. Behavior Tree Basics
- Fundamentals of decision-making in robotics
 - Creating Behavior Trees in GROOT
 - Debugging and optimizing trees
 - Advanced patterns in tree design
 
Section 3. Integrating Software and Hardware
- Real-time control with ROS
 - Communicating with sensors and actuators
 - Synchronization challenges
 - Best practices in system integration
 
Chapter 6. Training Humanoids in Simulation
Section 1. Isaac Sim Fundamentals
- Setting up simulation environments
 - Building virtual twins
 - Physics-based simulation features
 - Debugging simulation issues
 
Section 2. Data Collection and Training
- Generating synthetic training data
 - Training perception models
 - Reinforcement learning basics
 - Evaluating model performance
 
Section 3. Transitioning to Real Robots
- Transferring trained models
 - Bridging the simulation-reality gap
 - Testing in real-world conditions
 - Continuous training cycles
 
Chapter 7. Perception and Vision Systems
Section 1. Fundamentals of Computer Vision
- Object detection and classification
 - Depth perception and stereo vision
 - Key challenges in visual processing
 
Section 2. Integrating Vision with Robotics
- Vision sensors and hardware
 - Building vision pipelines
 - Case study: Gesture recognition
 
Section 3. Advanced Vision Techniques
- Semantic segmentation
 - Visual SLAM for humanoids
 - Using pretrained models
 - Future trends in robotic vision
 
Chapter 8. Motion Planning and Control
Section 1. Basics of Motion Control
- Understanding kinematics and dynamics
 - Balancing algorithms
 - Case study: Humanoid walking
 
Section 2. Advanced Motion Planning
- Pathfinding algorithms
 - Reactive vs proactive planning
 - Collision avoidance techniques
 
Section 3. Optimization and Challenges
- Improving efficiency in motion
 - Handling unexpected obstacles
 - Scaling motion planning to complex tasks
 - Common pitfalls in humanoid control
 
Chapter 9. Advanced Behavior Design
Section 1. Extending Behavior Trees
- Complex tree structures
 - Hybrid approaches to decision-making
 - Case study: Multi-task robots
 
Section 2. Collaboration and Teamwork
- Multi-robot coordination
 - Implementing swarm intelligence
 - Case study: Collaborative humanoids
 
Section 3. Ethical Behavior in Robotics
- Decision-making constraints
 - Avoiding unintended behaviors
 - Regulatory and ethical considerations
 
Chapter 10. Human-Robot Interaction
Section 1. Fundamentals of HRI
- Understanding human factors
 - Designing intuitive interactions
 - Case study: Voice-command robots
 
Section 2. Advanced Interaction Methods
- Natural language processing in robotics
 - Emotion recognition
 - Gesture-based controls
 
Section 3. Applications of HRI
- Robots in healthcare
 - Educational humanoid systems
 - Assistive robotics for disabilities
 
Chapter 11. Autonomous Navigation
Section 1. Basics of SLAM
- Understanding Simultaneous Localization and Mapping
 - Mapping techniques for humanoids
 - Sensor fusion for improved accuracy
 - Case study: Indoor navigation
 
Section 2. Path Planning Algorithms
- Graph-based methods (A*, Dijkstra's)
 - Sampling-based methods (RRT, PRM)
 - Hybrid approaches to pathfinding
 - Real-world examples: Avoiding obstacles
 
Section 3. Challenges in Navigation
- Handling dynamic environments
 - Navigating uneven terrain
 - Dealing with sensor noise
 - Improving robustness and efficiency
 
Chapter 12. Reinforcement Learning for Robotics
Section 1. Fundamentals of Reinforcement Learning
- Key concepts: States, actions, rewards
 - Exploration vs exploitation trade-offs
 - Designing reward functions for robots
 - Case study: Balancing a humanoid
 
Section 2. Training Robots in Simulation
- Using Isaac Sim for RL environments
 - Transferring learned behaviors to hardware
 - Avoiding overfitting to simulation
 
Section 3. Applications of RL
- Humanoid walking and running
 - Object manipulation tasks
 - Cooperative robotics using RL
 - Future trends in RL for robotics
 
Chapter 13. Collaborative Robotics
Section 1. Introduction to Multi-Robot Systems
- Benefits of collaboration
 - Designing communication protocols
 - Task allocation strategies
 
Section 2. Swarm Intelligence
- Fundamentals of swarm robotics
 - Implementing decentralized control
 - Case study: Multi-humanoid assembly task
 
Section 3. Real-World Applications
- Collaborative robots in manufacturing
 - Disaster response robotics
 - Future of collaborative humanoid robots
 
Chapter 14. Real-World Robotics Applications
Section 1. Robots in Healthcare
- Assistive robots for elderly care
 - Robots in surgery and rehabilitation
 - Challenges in medical robotics
 
Section 2. Robots in Education
- Teaching STEM with humanoid robots
 - Interactive learning experiences
 - Case study: Robots in classrooms
 
Section 3. Robots in Industry
- Humanoids in logistics and warehousing
 - Advanced manufacturing tasks
 - Ethical and practical challenges
 
Chapter 15. Debugging and Troubleshooting
Section 1. Mechanical Troubleshooting
- Identifying common mechanical failures
 - Best practices for maintenance
 - Case study: Fixing actuator malfunctions
 
Section 2. Software Debugging
- Debugging with ROS and GROOT
 - Common software pitfalls in robotics
 - Tools for performance analysis
 
Section 3. Debugging Integration Issues
- Diagnosing communication errors
 - Handling synchronization problems
 - Testing in real-world environments
 
Chapter 16. Ethics and Safety in Robotics
Section 1. Ethical Implications of Humanoid Robots
- Privacy concerns with robots
 - Impacts on employment and society
 - Designing for inclusivity and fairness
 
Section 2. Ensuring Safety in Robotics
- Safety protocols for humanoids
 - Handling failures gracefully
 - Best practices for safe operation
 
Section 3. Regulatory Compliance
- Navigating global robotics regulations
 - Certification processes for robots
 - Case study: Meeting safety standards
 
Chapter 17. Future Trends in Robotics
Section 1. Advances in AI for Robotics
- Emerging AI models for control
 - Integrating generative AI with robotics
 - Case study: Predictive maintenance
 
Section 2. Robotics in Space and Exploration
- Humanoids in space missions
 - Challenges of robotic exploration
 - Future possibilities for space humanoids
 
Section 3. Emerging Applications
- Robots in entertainment and gaming
 - Autonomous robots in agriculture
 - Pushing the boundaries of humanoid design
 
Chapter 18. Case Study: Building a Complete Humanoid Robot
Section 1. Starting from Scratch
- Defining requirements and goals
 - Planning the design and build process
 - Managing costs and timelines
 
Section 2. Step-by-Step Implementation
- Designing the mechanical structure
 - Programming the control software
 - Training the robot in simulation
 - Testing and deploying the robot
 
Section 3. Lessons Learned and Future Directions
- Challenges faced during development
 - Optimizing for scalability
 - Next steps in humanoid robotics
 
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