Robotics integrates computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrates fields of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, information engineering, mechatronics, electronics, bioengineering, computer engineering, control engineering, software engineering, etc.
Robotics develops machines that can substitute for humans and replicate human actions. Robots can be used in many situations and for many purposes, but today many are used in dangerous environments (including inspection of radioactive materials, bomb detection and deactivation), manufacturing processes, or where humans cannot survive (e.g. in space, underwater, in high heat, and clean up and containment of hazardous materials and radiation). Robots can take on any form but some are made to resemble humans in appearance. This is said to help in the acceptance of a robot in certain replicative behaviors usually performed by people. Such robots attempt to replicate walking, lifting, speech, cognition, or any other human activity.
The science of robotics is used together with artificial intelligence to create machines like cyborgs and androids.
A robot is a machine that automatically performs a set of typically pre-programmed tasks and has limited autonomy. They are thinking machines that can perform independent judgments. Later, this was revised to the idea of an android and the notion of robots became limited to less advanced forms of machines. The basis for this change is generally credited to Isaac Asimov who, though referring to them as robots, created characters who were far more intelligent than humans. He adopted the Three Laws of Robotics, designed to prevent a revolt against biological creators. I, Robot is based on Asimov's stories and features a colossal positronic brain, VIKI, who is bound by the Three Laws except that VIKI can directly harm humans to protect humanity as a whole due to an additional Zeroth Law.
| First Law | A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. |
| Second Law | A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. |
| Third Law | A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws. |