Robotics & AI (1976-1986)
Covers Heiserman's Robotics and AI work from 1976 - 1987. Starting with "How to Build Your Own Working Robot" (Buster) through Rodney the "Self-Programming Robot" and his later "Projects in Machine Intelligence For Your Own Computer" (1982) and the commercialized RB5X robot (based on his design)
Includes interviews (WSJ, Rolling Stone, others) articles, scoholarly citations and his featured speech at the first hobby robotics conference along side Isaac Asimov, Nolan Bushnell and Joseph Engleberger.
Additional materials coming soon including current pictures of Buster, book scans (as available) and additional robotic writings from Heiserman.
(Robotics page is partial but includes specific interviews- See Complete Works below to search all published Robotics / AI articles, citations etc.)
Covers Heiserman's Robotics and AI work from 1976 - 1987. Starting with "How to Build Your Own Working Robot" (Buster) through Rodney the "Self-Programming Robot" and his later "Projects in Machine Intelligence For Your Own Computer" (1982) and the commercialized RB5X robot (based on his design)
Includes interviews (WSJ, Rolling Stone, others) articles, scoholarly citations and his featured speech at the first hobby robotics conference along side Isaac Asimov, Nolan Bushnell and Joseph Engleberger.
Additional materials coming soon including current pictures of Buster, book scans (as available) and additional robotic writings from Heiserman.
(Robotics page is partial but includes specific interviews- See Complete Works below to search all published Robotics / AI articles, citations etc.)
Computers & Video Games (1970-1980)
Heiserman began writing about computers and video in 1970 (Electronics World) and by 1976 he published "How to Design & Build Your Own Custom TV Games" which was a first in the business. He also wrote about Computer Art and Electronic Music in the early 70s.
During the 1980s computer boom, he published a wide range of programming guides (Apple II, Atari 400/800, Commodore 64, TRS-80, IBM PC), and books on microprocessors, BASIC programming, Pascal, IC projects, and digital logic.
This page compiles all computer and gaming-related articles, platform guides, scholarly references, and rare out-of-print programming titles from the 1970s and 1980s (to extent available)
(The Video Games page is linked above but PARTIAL although download link works
See Complete Works below to search all published Computer / Video Game articles, interviews, and list of 20+ published books)
Heiserman began writing about computers and video in 1970 (Electronics World) and by 1976 he published "How to Design & Build Your Own Custom TV Games" which was a first in the business. He also wrote about Computer Art and Electronic Music in the early 70s.
During the 1980s computer boom, he published a wide range of programming guides (Apple II, Atari 400/800, Commodore 64, TRS-80, IBM PC), and books on microprocessors, BASIC programming, Pascal, IC projects, and digital logic.
This page compiles all computer and gaming-related articles, platform guides, scholarly references, and rare out-of-print programming titles from the 1970s and 1980s (to extent available)
(The Video Games page is linked above but PARTIAL although download link works
See Complete Works below to search all published Computer / Video Game articles, interviews, and list of 20+ published books)
Electronics (1967-1985)Heiserman introduced the public to the LED (Light Emitting Diode) with his 1968 article in Electronics World. Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s he wrote extensively for Electronics World, Popular Electronics, and Modern Electronics on semiconductor physics, power dissipation, diode behavior, microwave devices, solid-state inductors, chip capacitors, and LED technology—introducing many hobbyists to components that would define modern circuits.
He shifted his focus to writing books leveraging electronics, starting with "Radio Astronomy for the Amateur" (1974), "Build your Own Working Robot" (1976), "How to Design & Build Your Own Custom TV Games" (1978), and then numerous other electronics titles.
To support those entering the industry, he authored monthly career and Q+A articles in Popular Electronics as well as dedicated articles helping with real-world failures (“Why It Won't Work the First Time”).
This page consolidates all electronics-focused articles, technical primers, and historical pieces that chart his evolution from hands-on experimenter to one of the period's most accessible explainers of complex electronic systems.
(Electronics page is forthcoming- See Complete Works below to search all published electronics articles)
Radio Astronomy (1971-1976)David L. Heiserman brought the science of radio astronomy into reach for everyday enthusiasts when the field was almost entirely academic. Radio Astronomy for the Amateur (1974) provided the public one of the first widely accessible guides for hobbyists to detect cosmic radio sources at home. Before and after publishing the book, Heiserman wrote extensively on the topic. In 1971 (Electronics World) he introduced readers to radio-frequency observing techniques, and in 1976 (Popular Electronics) he gave step-by-step guidance for amateur observers who wanted to construct their own receiving systems.
The influence of his work extended into academic and technical communities as well. Radio Astronomy for the Amateur continues to appear in scholarly citations, often referenced as a bridge between professional astronomical methods and the rapidly growing DIY electronics movement of the 1970s.
This section collects Heiserman's radio astronomy materials + articles, book links, scholarly references, and supporting documents— to preserve his legacy of bringing advanced science within reach of the motivated beginner.
(Astronomy page is forthcoming- See Complete Works below to view articles, reviews, etc.)
Complete Works Index- Books, Articles, Interviews, Citations.
This includes his nearly 40 published books, dozens more published articles, and interviews including Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone and more.
Fully searchable and sortable- by topic, year etc.
This includes his nearly 40 published books, dozens more published articles, and interviews including Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone and more.
Fully searchable and sortable- by topic, year etc.
All Scholarly Citations
(This search shows 23 known, based on a variety of his publications and topics)
(This search shows 23 known, based on a variety of his publications and topics)