Probabilistic Robotics (Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents series) by Sebastian Thrun (PDF)

Description

An introduction to the techniques and algorithms of the newest field in robotics.Probabilistic robotics is a new and growing area in robotics, concerned with perception and control in the face of uncertainty. Building on the field of mathematical statistics, probabilistic robotics endows robots with a new level of robustness in real-world situations. This book introduces the reader to a wealth of techniques and algorithms in the field. All algorithms are based on a single overarching mathematical foundation. Each chapter provides example implementations in pseudo code, detailed mathematical derivations, discussions from a practitioner’s perspective, and extensive lists of exercises and class projects. The book’s Web site, www.probabilistic-robotics.org, has additional material. The book is relevant for anyone involved in robotic software development and scientific research. It will also be of interest to applied statisticians and engineers dealing with real-world sensor data.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I work in avionics, not robotics, but I ordered this book because it seemed to cover a lot of the subjects that are now making their way into avionics systems. In particular, I was interested in its coverage of Kalman Filters and POMDPs.I have to say that the other positive reviews are well-warranted. I have not before encountered such clear explanations of Bayes filtering, Kalman Filters (including EKFs and UKFs), even in spite of having encountered many books and papers on these subjects. The authors seem to go out of their way to present the material with a logical and clear-cut progression that doesn’t skip essential steps with the typical “the reader can clearly see that…” kinds of hand-waiving I have seen in other texts.To be honest, I can’t comment on the parts related to robot dynamics and SLAM, but as for chapters 1-4 and the chapters on POMDPs, I would have to say that this book presents the material in a better and more clear way than I have ever seen it presented before.

⭐Just went through this book in a week for my own research. This was a nice read and a great reference book for all the probabilistic theory and algorithms that are essential to robotics and AI these days, in cutting edge research. Strongly recommended as a book that you will want to keep on your closest shelf or desk corner. Be warned that this is definitely a graduate-level textbook, so don’t see this as a “robotics for dummies” kind of book, be prepared with at least some prior basis in probabilistic methods, estimation, and/or machine learning. This book will be a great jump forward into robotics for a finishing undergraduate, or a firm reference book for graduate students or researchers. The amount of mathematical derivations is just about perfect (doesn’t break readability, but provides just enough to avoid any “mathemagical” leaps in the formulations). Algorithms are concise, concrete and pertinent (as opposed to many other probabilistic texts that present algorithms that are often written in very high-level pseudo-code that makes it hard to understand what a concrete implementation really involves doing). Lots of concrete examples that make it really clear why this paradigm for robotics software is necessary and by far the most powerful (although a real computational challenge!).

⭐This textbook is the standard reference for probabilistic robotics in the areas of navigation and mapping. One of the authors is the director of the Stanford AI lab and headed the winning entry in the DARPA Grand Challenge in 2007, which needless to say means he understands and has developed many of the techniques in the book. The algorithms are laid out and explained at different depths of understanding, which sometimes allows them to be used without reading the rigorous mathematical derivations that are included. Within the first week of having this book, I found that my method of estimating odometry in the prediction step of a Kalman filter could be improved with a different estimation. In addition, since the book provided a mathematical derivation, I could compare the two techniques and explain under what assumptions my approximation fails to do well.

⭐As someone with a multi-discipline background that includes some control theory, I am always frustrated by the “explanations” that control theorists attempt to put forward for the Kalman filter, and find that the best explanations actually come from other fields. Prior to stumbling upon this book, the best explanation of the Kalman filter I had read actually came from a book on Bayesian statistics. It makes sense that this book would have the same basic Bayesian approach, but would also extend the technique in exactly the manner needed to properly do controls and robotics. Further it fits the technique into a larger, cross-disciplinary, landscape of estimation, sensing and modeling techniques from both “controls” and “robotics” (which, despite sounding like two forms of the same field, tend to actually have distinct and disparate communities which have surprising trouble talking to one another).

⭐This book gives good theoretical foundation for modern algorithms usedin the field of robotics, state estimation, SLAM, motion planning.May be used as good undergrad or graduation level study material.

⭐I bought this book with the idea of learning more about the topic. I gave up pretty soon as the text was very difficult to follow. Then I came across a YouTube recording of a SLAM course that was based on this book.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgnQpQtFTOGQrZ4O5QzbIHgl3b1JHimN_I went back to the text after watching the online SLAM course and was able to understand it.On the whole, the text is not easy to understand. It very mathematical. But if you keep at it, it will pay off.

⭐Quality of the book is fine. However, the surface is completely wavy. The binding seems to be coming out. It could be a while before I could actually ascertain the quality of the binding.

⭐This is a brilliant book, must read and must have on a desk of a robotics engineer, especially on the software side.One can tell how much effort and hard work the authors put into writing the book.Very clean and concise text.The book not just teaches the subject, but gives a lot of ideas on further research topics.It might sound like the authors have been primarily concerned with SLAM and motion planning problems. The truth is that the methods they describe can be applied in many other areas, just use your brain.Wish there were more books like that.

⭐Actually, this was a gift, but I the person that read it was very happy!

⭐Comprehensive, easy to read and supported with a good website online.

⭐Ich arbeite im Rahmen von zahlreichen Industrie/EU-Forschungsprojekten auf dem Gebiet der Positionierung mit Laserscannern für automotive Anwendungen. Ich habe zu Beginn der Arbeit recht viel Zeit benötigt, um mir einen Überblick über die Thematik zu verschaffen. Es gibt schließlich zahlreiche namhafte Konferenzen wie ICRA oder IROS und andere, bei denen solche Themen als Schwerpunkt behandelt werden. Leider ist die Flut und die Menge an Informationen und auch die Anzahl der veröffentlichen Papers und Journals so groß, dass man erst einmal schwer die essentiellen Ideen der Thematik herausfindet.Dann fiel mir dieses Buch auf, als ich mich auf der Homepage von Sebastian Thrun informierte. Das Buch füllt zu 100% eine große Lücke in der Literatur, da es genau die Themen auf den Punkt bringt, die für die Positionierung, das Kartographieren und für Pfadplanung wichtig sind. Die grundlegende Ideen stehen verständlich in dem Buch. Natürlich ist ein gewisses mathematisches Vorwissen und auch Wissen zu Schätzverfahren usw. hilfreich, aber die Autoren führen auch das am Anfang ein. Was mir bei den drei Autoren (nicht nur bei diesem Buch, sondern auch bei den vielen sonstigen veröffentlichten Papern)positiv auffällt ist, dass sie die Thematik schön erklären und nicht Algorithmen in undurchdringlichen Schemabildern und Notationen verstecken, sondern – salopp gesagt – es einfach aufschreiben wie es ist. Das ist doch recht selten.Der Literaturüberblick am Ende jedes Kapitels sucht seinesgleichen. Die Errate im Internet ist ebenfalls eine sehr gute Idee. Weiterhin bieten die Autoren Präsentationsmaterial auf der Homepage an. Hier merkt man, dass das Buch aus der Lehre stammt und schon mehrere Iterationen durchlaufen wurden.Ich gebe das Buch meinen Elektrotechnik-Studien- und Diplomarbeitern, die es zum Kennenlernen der Materie nutzen. Man merkt an deren Reaktionen auch deutlich, dass es recht schnell verständlich und klar geschrieben ist.Vielleicht noch ein Hinweis: Das ist kein Roboter-Bastelbuch. Hier geht es um moderne Positionier-, Kartographier- und Pfadplanungsalgorithmen, die natürlich einen gewissen mathematischen und algorithmischen Anspruch haben. Und genau das macht es so wertvoll. Einen gewissen algorithmischen Bezug zur Grand-Challenge ist gegeben.Auch der Preis ist sehr fair.

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⭐This is an excellent text book for those that are starting out in robotics (like myself).It introduces a lot of the general concepts.Layout is fairly good.Could use more examples to associate the concepts to real life situations.

⭐Hat meinem Sohn im Studium (Umweltrobotik) sehr gute Dienste geleistet. Er findet das Buch empfehlenswert. Das Buch deckte inhaltlich alles das ab was man als Grundlage für diese Technik benötigt.

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