The areas of intelligent machines or robotic systems is of enormous technological and economic interest as competition in productivity intensifies. This volume gives the proceedings of the 1990 Advanced Study Institute on Expert Systems and Robotics. It presents research work already accomplished in the analytical theory of intelligent machines, work in progress and of current interest and some specific examples for further research. The papers in the volume range from the most theoretical to some descriptions of very practical working robots. The papers are organized into sections on vision and image analysis, robotic sensory systems, software/hardware and system simulation, robot control, applications, and reports of group meetings.

Dr. Lester A. Gerhardt Professor and Chairman Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180 This book is a collection of papers on the subject of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Most of the papers contained herein were presented as part of the program of the NATO Advanced Study Institute held in June 1983 at Castel vecchio Pascoli, Italy on the same subject. Attendance at this two week Institute was by invitation only, drawing people internationally representing industry, government and the academic community worldwide. Many of the people in attendance, as well as those presenting papers, are recognized leaders in the field. In addition to the formal paper presentations, there were several informal work shops. These included a workshop on sensing, a workshop on educational methodology in the subject area, as examples. This book is an outgrowth and direct result of that Institute and includes the papers presented as well as a few others which were stimulated by that meeting. A special note is the paper entitled "State-of-the-Art and Predictions for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics" by Dr. R. Nagel which appears in the Introduction and Overview chapter of this book. This paper was originally developed as part of a study for the United States Army performed by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science and published as part of a report entitled "Applications of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence to Reduce Risk and Improve Effectiveness" by National Academy Press in 1983.

Here is one of the first really thorough presentations on smart robots. Robots, machine vision systems, sensors, manipulators, expert systems, and artificial intelligence concepts combined in state-of-the-art computer integrated manufacturing systems. These "smart" robots increase produc tivity and improve the quality of our products. This comprehensive volume, which is extensively illustrated, provides a unique synthesis and overview of the emerging field of smart robots, the basic approaches for each of the constituents systems, the techniques used, applications, the descriptions of current hardware or software projects, a review of the state-of-the-art of the technology, current research and development efforts, and trends in the development of smart robots. All of the information has been compiled from a wide variety of knowledgeable sources and recent government reports. An extensive selection of photo graphs, diagrams and charts amplify this book. The contents of major chapters include: • Introduction to smart robots • Artificial intelligence for smart robots • Smart robot systems • Sensor-controlled robots • Machine vision systems • Robot manipulators • Natural language processing • Expert systems and • Computer integrated manufacturing Smart Robots presents the state-of-the-art in intelligent robots. It is designed to help the reader develop an understanding of industrial applications of smart robots as well as the new technological develop ments. Smart Robots is an outstanding introduction to the integration and application of machine vision systems, sensors, expert systems, and artificial intelligence technology.