Robots. The mere word conjures up a bevy of mind-bending images pulled straight from popular science-fiction tales. But robots aren't just the stuff of entertainment. They're real. They're everywhere around you. And they're transforming your life in ways you can't imagine. In short, the future of human civilization depends on collaborative robotics: humans and machines working together.

According to robotics expert and award-winning professor John Long of Vassar College, "Robots are what computers and self-propelled vehicles were to the 20th century: a technological revolution that impacts nearly every aspect of our lives, businesses, and security." Yet for all their seen (and unseen) prevalence, robotics remains mysterious to most of us. How exactly do robots work? What does it take to build a robot that can, for a period of time, perform tasks and make decisions with little human input? What are the most revolutionary robots at work today? How do we balance the technological benefits of robots with the potential risks they pose to pre-existing ways of life?

To answer these and other questions is to take an in-depth journey into an exciting world; a journey Professor Long and The Great Courses present in the 24 incredible lectures of Robotics. Professor Long demystifies the world of robots and provides a comprehensive introduction to these intelligent machines. Whether you're looking to grasp the hard science of how robots work or simply curious about the implications of robots for society, consider this course your official passport to an astonishing new world.