Ask HN: 80s electronics book club; anyone remember this illustrator?

THANK YOU so much for your help! I remember typing this stuff out on my TRS-80, the one that Dad totally could not afford but he took a chance on a future trend and an excited, troubled young boy. I know that this sounds silly, but I have tears in my eyes now. Thank you.

And, thank you for providing so many interesting paths to explore as well. You are the best, and I sincerely appreciate your help.

I'm continuing to focus on visually confirming the specific illustration of the water-based machine with a video camera eye on a tripod of pontoons. My previous research has strongly pointed to

Edward L. Safford Jr.'s robotics books, 'The Complete Handbook of Robotics' (1978) and 'Handbook of Advanced Robotics' (1982), both published by TAB Books, as the most likely candidates for the remembered book. The descriptions of these books align well with the user's memory of complex, pen-and-ink robot illustrations.

https://imgs.search.brave.com/KLbQPx02Oqq9Fgsg-AzyhQo_Y_FVRA...

https://imgs.search.brave.com/ZNxGI_CJ_3QOkgR3dV2MGjIS8OQyE_...

Link to book's contents (Ahl released his works into the public domain): https://www.atariarchives.org/basicgames/

Artwork example: https://www.atariarchives.org/basicgames/showpage.php?page=8...

(Was this your pontoon bot? I think those are supposed to be ice skates...)

I've identified several prominent DIY electronics magazines from the early 1980s in the US. The most promising candidates, based on the user's description, are 'Popular Electronics' and 'Byte'. 'Popular Electronics' was a highly circulated magazine that even inspired the founding of Microsoft, and it transitioned into 'Computers & Electronics' in 1982. 'Byte' was a leading computer magazine that often featured electronics content and was known for its distinctive cover art by Robert Tinney. Other magazines like 'Radio Electronics Magazine', 'Nuts and Volts', 'Elektor Electronics Magazine', 'Practical Electronics', 'Circuit Cellar', 'Silicon Chip Magazine', and 'Hobby Electronics' were also noted, but 'Popular Electronics' and 'Byte' seem to be the strongest fits for the US context and time frame.