This book constitutes the presentations made at the Advanced Research Workshop on Autonomous Robotic Systems, which was held at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, June 1997. The aim of the meeting was to bring together leading researchers in the area of autonomous systems for mobility and manipulation, and the aim of this book is to share the presentations with the reader. The book presents the most recent developments in the field. Topics include sensors and navigation in mobile robots, robot co-operation, telerobotics, legged robots, climbing robots and applications. Existing and emerging applications of autonomous syst ems are described in great detail, including applications in forestry, cleaning, mining, tertiary buildings, assistance to the elderly and handicapped, and surgery. The chapters are written in a structured and advanced tutorial style by leading specialists from Europe, Australia, Japan and USA. The style will allow the reader to grasp the state-of-the-art and research directions in the area of autonomous systems.
