Robotic communication is an area of research that focuses on the human interaction with robots in a variety of contexts. Most commonly, this area of research is referred to as humanrobot interaction (HRI). The purpose of HRI is to understand how humans and robots interact and the ways to improve the usability of robotic communication. HRI examines the development of effective interaction and helps model human expectations of robotic communication. In addition, many researchers in HRI examine how best to motivate people to interact with robots. Robots can range from humanoid robots or telepresence-unmanned robots to scripts and algorithms. The following entry provides a brief history of robotics, four types of robot contexts used for research, and theoretical applications applicable to robotic communication. This is followed by a discussion of research questions and methodologies that guide the student of HRI.