ROBOT is a unique publication that will:

• Offer the “how to do it” for the robot enthusiast and robot hobbyist, as well as the “what’s going on” in the expanding world of robotics for the interested layperson or technical professional.

• Offer parents, teachers and kids guidance on using and playing with the new generation of consumer, toy and hobby robot products that serve as educational tools and recreational fun

• Offer a “Spotlight on Education” section that includes coverage of FIRST Robotics, FIRST LEGO Mindstorm and VEX kits and competitions; this will be important reading for robotics educators and involved students who wish to sharpen their competitive edge

• Present beautiful photography in a clean, family-friendly presentation with the entertainment-plus-education format of Maplegate’s existing titles, Fly RC and RC Driver

THE “HOW-TO DO IT”

• Include projects simple enough for the robot enthusiast to jump in and become an entry level robot hobbyist, and projects advanced enough to draw the attention of serious robot hobbyists up to a graduate school level

• Emphasize robot kits that include all the pieces needed--to involve the lay reader who wants an easily accessible, complete robot experience without having to become an engineer

• Be supported by a website, www.botmag.com, with a robot news feed and posts of articles of both technical information (e.g., robot programming samples, schematics) referenced in print but that only the more serious techies really want

THE “WHAT’S GOING ON”

• Cover a spectrum of compelling, interesting stories and news in robotics of the type that occasionally appear in Wired, Discover, Popular Science, New York Science Times and Design News. This will attract a general readership as well as industry specialists:

• Latest robot toys and how to best use and develop them (Aibo, RoboSapiens, etc.)

• Lego Mindstorm and VEX kit projects and competitions

• FIRST competitions (1,000 teams, 24,000+ students)

• NASA robots such as the Martian Rovers

• Consumer robots (vacuum cleaners, talking dolls, computerized clothing)

• Fighting robots as seen on TV programs, in smaller more affordable classes

• Virtual robots that simulate evolution or that appear in PC and console games

• Medical robots

• Science project robots for all educational levels

• Latest advances in artificial intelligence and robot autonomy