Rob Ives was born in Harrogate in the UK in 1962.
After ten years as a classroom teacher Rob began designing models made from cardboard. At a mathematics conference he was asked by a publisher, who saw one of his models, if he could create a book of models for them. The result was the Paper Locksmith, a collection of working locks to cut out and make.
The publisher asked Rob if he could write them a second book, the result, Paper Automata is still in print and has been printed in a number of languages. At around this time Rob tried producing his own models, the first of these being Surfin’ the Web and Mexican Peck.