Books by Kathy Ceceri

Making Simple Robots is based on the idea that anybody can build a robot! That includes kids, educators, parents, and anyone who didn't make it to engineering school. If you can cut, fold, and tape a piece of paper to make a tube or a box, you can build a no-tech robotic part. In fact, many of the models in this book are based upon real-life prototypes -- working models created in research labs and companies. What's more, if you can use the apps on your smartphone, you can quickly learn to tell robots what to do using free, online, beginner-level software like MIT's Scratch and Microsoft MakeCode. The projects in this book which teach you about electric circuits by making jumping origami frogs with eyes that light up when you get them ready to hop. You'll practice designing all-terrain robot wheel-legs with free, online Tinkercad software, and you'll create files ready for 3D printing. You'll also learn to sew -- and code -- a cyborg rag doll with a blinking electronic "eye." Each project includes step-by-step directions and clear illustrations and photographs. Along the way, you'll learn about the real research behind the DIY version, find shortcuts for making projects easier when needed, and get suggestions for adding to the challenge as your skill set grows.

Edible Inventions: Cooking Hacks and Yummy Recipes You Can Build, Mix, Bake, and Grow will show you some unusual ways to create a meal, and help you invent some of your own.

In this book you'll create your own fabric inventions as you learn to make wearables, playthings, and decorative items using textile arts--both old and new. Easy projects using will get you started knitting, adding color to your wardrobe with silkscreen and batik, and transforming old clothing into useful items.

The projects in Paper Inventions were inspired by the many different varieties of paper, from fancy artists' watercolor paper to recycled copy paper, and the many different ways it is used. Whether you like to make crafts or play with electronics, there's a project that will challenge you and unleash your creativity.