"The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Discovery Book" (336 pages, US$34.95) from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com) is the company's latest book to delve into the robotics system

Author Laurens Valk brings his robotics expertise to bear as he teaches readers the techniques essential to successful robot building. Valk has been building Mindstorms robots for years and was even recruited by the LEGO Group to test and develop this new generation of LEGO Mindstorms.

"The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Discovery Book" features content that takes readers from gearing and fundamental mechanics through advanced programming techniques as they build these six robots:

° The EXPLOR3R, a wheeled vehicle that uses sensors to navigate around a room and follow lines;

° The FORMULA EV3 RACE CAR, a streamlined remote-controlled race car;

° ANTY, a six-legged walking creature that adapts its behavior to its surroundings;

° SK3TCHBOT, a robot that lets you play games on the EV3 screen;

° The SNATCH3R, a robotic arm that can autonomously find, grab, lift, and move an infrared beacon;

° The LAVA R3X, a humanoid robot that walks and talks.

Valk rounds out the fundamentals with more than 150 building and programming challenges that encourage readers to discover the countless possibilities of the EV3 kit and to start inventing robots of their own. The author is a member of the Mindstorms Community Partners, a select group of Mindstorms enthusiasts who help test and develop new Mindstorms products.

One of his robot designs is featured on the EV3 packaging as a bonus project. Valk blogs about robots at robotsquare.com.