Books, movies, stories, and other works of fiction help us think about the real world in new ways. Science fiction has often been inspired by the future possibilities of robotics.

However, the relationship betweens science fiction and robotics is a two way street: science fiction affects the field of robotics as well. Early in the history of robots, acclaimed writer Isaac Asimov became concerned that humanity was unprepared for what he saw as the inevitable: robots becoming an integral part of society in the future. In 1942, he created a 3-point code of conduct for the 21st century robots written about in his many books. We call these Asimov's Laws of Robotics:

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

• A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders conflict with the first law.

• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second law.