Martin and his friend Anton love solving problems and making things, mainly mechanical things they call their projects. Their main project is 'Risper', a robot that lives in Martin's backpack and goes everywhere with him. Anton is in Year Eight and is almost thirteen, while Martin is in Year Seven and isn't even ten. He is probably the smartest boy at school. Martin's young age causes a few problems with other students, while Anton helps him out where he can. Throughout the school year, Risper's capability and personality continue to grow. That is despite the fact that Martin and Anton spend a lot of their time working on their other robotic and power saving devices. The story is a year in the life of two boys as they build a robot and deal with some of life's challenges.