Robotics is one of the many newly opening fields for anyone interested in technology. Actually, the study of robotics has gone on for many centuries. One of the most well known early robots was a mechanical duck built for a chinese king. It could "eat" food, crush it up and then excrete it. It ran by being wound up, but was very complex for the time. Probably the idols of most robotic experimenters (roboticists) are the R2D2's and C-3P0's from Star Wars and the B9 Envirobot from the original Lost In Space series. While not all robots are like these, this is the most common stereotype assigned to the word "robot".
The hobby (or profession) of robot building is becoming increasingly popular and more and more resources are becoming available. Building a robot can be cost anywhere from $10 to $10,000,000 depending on the sophistication, size, and type of the robot you want to build. The cheaper the robot, the more limitations you put on him, but I have found that you can build a really nice robot for at or below $100 if your willing to cut a few corners. For tips on where to get parts for your robot, go to Resources. See the other links to your right for other pages to help you get into the field of robotics.