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.

Inhalt

I. Vision and Image Analysis.- Gestalt-based Approach to Robot Vision.- Matching: Check Points within the Framework of a Knowledge-based Visual Inspection System.- Stereoscopic Vision for AGV Guidance.- Hierarchical Methods for Robot Vision.- II. Robotic Sensory Systems.- Geometric Modeling Aspects on Vision and Ultrasonic Range Sensing for Robotic Applications.- Sensor Planning for the Error Diagnosis of Robot Assembly Tasks.- III. Software/Hardware, System Simulation.- Computer Aided Analysis of Robot Aim Dynamics and Adaptive Control Schemes.- A Programming Environment for Sensor-Controlled Robots.- Symbolic Simulation of Sensory Robot Programs.- Expert Systems and Multiple Criteria Decision Support.- Signal Representation Issues in Neural-Network Modeling of Perceptual Properties.- Robot Control with Procedural Expert System.- Rapid Interference Detection.- Prolog Language - CADSD Package Interfacing Procedures: Applications to Heuristic Identification and Control of Dynamic Systems.- Intelligent Cooperation for Robotics.- The Oxford Robot World Model.- The Blackboard Architecture in Knowledge-Based Robotic Systems.- Implementation of Specific Robotic Functions Directly in Hardware.- The 3DP Real-Time Motion-Control Computer.- IV. Robot Control.- A Knowledge-Based Controller for a PWR-Type Nuclear Power Plant.- Telepresence and Intelligent Control for a Legged Locomotion Robot.- Robust Adaptive Control of Robotic Manipulators.- About Qualitative Robot Control.- Motion Estimation from Target Tracking.- Robust Control of Robotic Manipulators.- Automatic Determination of Quasi-Time Optimal Joint Trajectories and Adaptive Control for a Robotic Arm.- A Robust Approach for the Control of Robotic Manipulators: Predictive Control.- Analysis of Cooperating Robot Manipulators on a Mobile Platform.- On the Theory of Intelligent Machines.- Symbolic Computation for Robot Design.- Neural Net System for Adaptive Robot Control.- V. Applications.- On-line Scheduling and Planning of Robots and Presses.- Knowledge-Based Process Planning, Scheduling and Error Recovery in Robotized Assembly.- Complete Garment Assembly Using Robots.- A Model-Based Expert System for the Diagnosis of Faults in a Robot System for Cleaning Castings.- Genghis: An Intelligent Autonomous Mobile Robot.- Benefits of Expert Robots: Intelligence vs. Skill.- Evaluation of Applicative Assembly Design, Supported by Expert Systems.- VI. Reports of Group Meetings.- Group Findings: Vision and Image Analysis as Applied to Intelligent Modules.- Computer-Aided Process Planning in Robotic-Based CIM Systems.- Current Issues and Future Developments of Intelligent Robots.- ASI Unusual Robot Applications.- Industrial Needs and Applications.- Integrating Diverse Knowledge: New Ideas in Knowledge Processing.- Intelligent Control.- List of Participants.