Solutions to the energy crisis will come from all sectors of science and technology. This month’s Comment:Visions looks at one of the most fascinating and futuristic areas of research; robotics.

Stefano Stramigioli is professor of the chair of Advanced Robotics at the University of Twente, in the Netherlands. Over the past decade he has been researching intelligent machines and their practical applications. Advanced robotics, he believes, can reap positive benefits for societies as the automation of tasks by increasingly intelligent machines grows more widespread.

A new age of robotics is coming as the next generation of machines develop from research projects into public initiatives and in this Comment Visions we ask Professor Stramigioli how he thinks this age will look. What are the practical applications of advanced robotics in a changing world and what role can robotics play in challenging the energy crisis?