Book excerpt: Australia's first Robotics Roadmap is a guide to how Australia can harness the benefits of a new robot economy. Building on Australia's strengths in robot talent and technologies in niche application areas, the roadmap acts a guide to how Australia can support a vibrant robotics industry that supports automation across all sectors of the Australian economy. The world-leading Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, an ARC Centre of Excellence, partnered with industry, researchers and government to drive this important initiative. A national consultation process was held culminating in a series of workshops across key sectors including resources, built and natural environment, manufacturing, services (including transport & logistics), healthcare and defence.Australia has a unique opportunity to take a leading role in the development of robotic technologies and in the tech sector more generally. The roadmap demonstrates Australia's existing capability and forecasts future applications, as well as providing recommendations on harnessing the new and emerging technologies being developed in Australia today. By describing what is possible and what is desirable, the roadmap aims to create the grounds for the necessary co-operation to allow robots to help unlock human potential, modernise the economy and build national health, well-being and sustainability despite the challenges of our vast and remote geography.