10 years ago now, Gerald and I envisioned the original BeagleBoard, which would democratize access to computers that were small enough, low-power enough, capable enough, open enough, understandable enough, and affordable enough to encourage hundreds of thousands of new developers to build electronics systems that they controlled, rather than simply creating an application that merely runs on someone else's platform. From open hardware DNA-analysis machines to advanced transportation systems and prototypes of Mars rovers, over a million BeagleBoards and BeagleBones have now gone into developers' projects, and often, units built around the open source hardware designs have gone into production systems, enabling entrepreneurs and visionaries to realize their dreams. Enabling the http://beagleboard.org/ community has remained my passion, and I support it everyday. Traveling to trade shows, chatting on the live IRC channel, maintaining the website, answering technical queries on the mailing list, updating documentation, supporting innovations with our suppliers and distributors, and ultimately creating new designs all pay off when I see individuals succeeding in learning about and creating with programming and electronics.
Robotics has always been a popular application of the BeagleBoard, but the new BeagleBone Blue provides a unique set of features, taking the exploration and implementation of robotics to another level of simplicity, completeness, and community activity. Robotics provides a compelling opportunity to build and go beyond a basic understanding of mechanics, electronics, programming, and networking technologies that impact nearly all of our daily lives. Moving beyond the initial experience, the open nature enables you to collaborate, build understanding from history, and eliminate any barriers to where you can take your learning, all the way to making your own product--and that makes you part of a compelling community.
Richard has already written the book on BeagleBone robotics with his titles BeagleBone Robotic Projects and Mastering BeagleBone Robotics. These are excellent books, providing practical introductions to rewarding creations. With the introduction of the BeagleBone Blue, it was natural for me to reach out to Richard with early access to the board. In this edition, Richard fast-tracks you into robotics and the BeagleBoard.org community with a practical set of hands-on experiences that get you started, and he further gives you the tools to help bring in others to this amazing world. I hope you’ll join us as we make this world a better place by mastering robotics and sharing the joy of creation and creativity it offers.
Jason Kridner
Co-founder of BeagleBoard.org