As far back as I can remember I have been fascinated by robotics and science fiction

Over the majority of my working life I have been involved with research into intelligent robotics. Some of my robots communicated using puffs of air, licked the floor to follow chemical trails or burrowed through the ground searching for chemical leaks. It was not uncommon for reviewers of my research to complain it was too speculative, perhaps too much like science fiction? Now, in retirement, I have the freedom to explore robotics and science fiction more broadly without any requirement to demonstrate practical implementations.

Photograph shows the author with an HRP-2 Humanoid Robot. Photograph courtesy of Professor Masayuki Inaba, Department of Mechano-Informatics, University of Tokyo.