John Gray is Professor of Control and Systems Engineering, Chairman of the Department of Electronic Engineering and Director of the Telford Research Institute at the University of Salford. In 1986 he took part in forming a five-year research programme on advanced robotics, in association with 12 industrial partners who collaborated in the government-sponsored National Advanced Robotics Research Centre (ARRC) at Salford. He served as Research Director of the ARRC, chaired its technical committee and was the main board member of its industrial consortium, Advanced Robotics Research Ltd. He is a member of the permanent international committee of the International Conference on Advanced Robotics and a Fellow of the IEE.Darwin Caldwell is a Lecturer in Advanced Robotics at the University of Salford. His research interests cover all aspects of robotics, with particular emphasis on dextronus manipulator design, multi-functional tactile sensing and feedback and novel actuator design, with primary applications in the field of tele-presence. He has authored over 50 publications and is an Associate Member of the IEE.

• Section 1: Technologies for advanced roboticsChapter 1: Recent developments in advanced robotics & intelligent systemsChapter 2: Machine intelligence: architectures, controllers and applicationsChapter 3: Advanced control systems for robotic armsChapter 4: Intelligent gripping systemsChapter 5: Force feedback control in robots and its application to decommissioningChapter 6: Tele-presence control of robotsChapter 7: Sensing and sensor management for planningSection 2: ApplicationsChapter 8: Robotics in the nuclear industryChapter 9: Robots in surgery: a surveyChapter 10: Intelligent autonomous systems for carsChapter 11: Walking machine technology: designing the control system of an advanced six-legged machineChapter 12: Handling of flexible materials in automationChapter 13: Robotics in food manufacturingChapter 14: Robotic milkingSection 3: Advanced concepts and proceduresChapter 15: Intelligent sensing as a means to error free semiconductor wafer handlingChapter 16: The concept of robot society and its utilisation in future roboticsChapter 17: Miniature and micro robotics: technologies and applicationsChapter 18: Characteristics of robot behaviourChapter 19: A behaviour synthesis architecture for co-operant mobile robotsChapter 20: Co-operant behaviour in multiple manipulatorsChapter 21: Neural networks in automation proceduresChapter 22: Parallel processing, neural networks and genetic algorithms for real-time robot control