Life as a United States Army Patriot Missile technician may seem more stressful and complicated than putting together robotic kits. But Robot Objects owner John Kenyon knows that it can be just as difficult to make a robot.

"With robotics, trial and error can cost a lot of money," said Kenyon. "Putting the kits together ... can be very frustrating at times."

Kenyon, who runs the business out of his home in DeForest, has always been interested in electronics. That interest eventually led him to the U.S. Army in the 1980s and then onto the University of Wisconsin - School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Since the early 1990s, he has worked as a computer programmer.

Kenyon and his wife, Kelly, have three kids. While watching the children grow up, Kenyon thought about robotics.

"Kids learn through pattern recognition," said Kenyon. "I started thinking more and more about robotics and the theories of pattern recognition."