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Giulio Ferrari works as a Software Developer at EDIS, a leader in publishing and fin-
ishing solution and promotional packaging. He studied engineering and economics at the
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and in the past has developed applications,
entertainment software, and Web sites for several companies. He is fond of physical and
mathematical sciences, as well as of puzzles and games in general (he has a collection of
1500 dice of every kind and shape). Giulio co-authored the best selling Building Robots
with LEGO MINDSTORMS (Syngress Publishing, ISBN: 1-928994-67-9) with his
brother, Mario and Ralph Hempel, a book that has quickly become a fundamental refer-
ence and source of ideas for many LEGO robotics fans. Giulio is also a contributor to
Programming LEGO MINDSTORMS with Java (Syngress, ISBN: 1-928994-55-5). He has
been playing with LEGO bricks since he was very young, and his passion for robotics
started in 1998, with the arrival of the MINDSTORMS series. From that moment on, he
held an important place in the creation of the Italian LEGO community, ItLUG, now
one of the largest and most important LEGO users group worldwide. He works in
Modena, Italy, where he lives with his girlfriend, Marina.

Mario Ferrari received his first LEGO box around 1964, when he was four-years-old.
LEGO was his favorite toy for many years, until he thought he was too old to play with
it. In 1998, the LEGO MINDSTORMS RIS set gave him reason to again have LEGO
become his main addiction. Mario believes LEGO is the closest thing to the perfect toy.
He is Managing Director at EDIS, a leader in finishing and packaging solutions and pro-
motional packaging.The advent of the MINDSTORMS product line represented for
him the perfect opportunity to combine his interest in IT and robotics with his passion
for LEGO bricks. Mario has been an active member of the online MINDSTORMS
community from the beginning and has pushed LEGO robotics to its limits. Mario holds
a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Turin and has
always nourished a strong interest for physics, mathematics, and computer science. He is
fluent in many programming languages and his background includes positions as an IT
Manager and as a Project Supervisor. With his brother, Giulio Ferrari, Mario is the co-
author of the highly successful book Building Robots with LEGO MINDSTORMS
(Syngress Publishing, ISBN: 1-928994-67-9). Mario estimates he owns over 60,000
LEGO pieces. Mario works in Modena, Italy, where he lives with his wife,Anna, and his
children, Sebastiano and Camilla.

Hideaki Yabuki works as a Media Activist, promoting new technologies to the next
generation, at the Pioneer Group. Hideaki also gives lectures to high school students in
Japan about LEGO. In 1982, after graduation from the College of Science and
Technology of Nihon University in Tokyo with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering, he
was blessed with the results of the MIT Media Lab and worked for the application of
advanced technologies using computers such as Laser, Holography, Robot, Multimedia
and Internet thus far.To him, robotics is the most important of these technologies and he

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