In October of last year experts from different research disciplines, like control engineering, systems engineering, sociology, art, philosophy, and politics met in Krems (Austria) to discuss the interplay between recent developments in automation and the culture and social framework, with special emphasis on the approaches in the East and the West. Main topics of these intensive discussions were technology design, automation software and culture, social conditions, education, computer and art, design of man-machine-systems, CIM and culture as well as appropriate methods for interdisciplinary research. A selection of papers presented at this conference can be found in this volume.

Industrial robots as a kind of a mechatronic system were the objects for intensive scientific research in the last years. Kinematics and kinetics, advanced control algorithms, flexible robots, mobile robots, cooperation of robots were research topics. Meanwhile the industrial robot is more or less a tool on the shop floor level like NC- and CNC-machines, transportation and storage devices. The current research landscape on industrial robots can be divided in two directions. The first direction is the scientific one and topics like fuzzy control, applications of neuronal networks, application of methods of artificial intelligence for robot control, optimal path planning are currently headlines in this field. On the other hand the application oriented research goes in the direction to develop and create new low-cost concepts including industrial robots applicable in a commercially efficient way mainly in small and medium sized companies. The industry in most of the member countries of the Alpe-Adria Group are dominated by small and medium sized companies. Industrial robots together with the appropriate CIM-concepts are a very efficient tool for increasing the flexibility of such companies. At the first meeting in Portoroz (June 1992), a first overview on robotics research and applications in Alpe-Adria countries was given. First steps were done in the direction of a broader cooperation in science, development, production and level of education among these countries.

In October of last year experts from different research disciplines, like control engineering, systems engineering, sociology, art, philosophy, and politics met in Krems (Austria) to discuss the interplay between recent developments in automation and the culture and social framework, with special emphasis on the approaches in the East and the West. Main topics of these intensive discussions were technology design, automation software and culture, social conditions, education, computer and art, design of man-machine-systems, CIM and culture as well as appropriate methods for interdisciplinary research. A selection of papers presented at this conference can be found in this volume.

Industrial robots as a kind of a mechatronic system were the objects for intensive scientific research in the last years. Kinematics and kinetics, advanced control algorithms, flexible robots, mobile robots, cooperation of robots were research topics. Meanwhile the industrial robot is more or less a tool on the shop floor level like NC- and CNC-machines, transportation and storage devices. The current research landscape on industrial robots can be divided in two directions. The first direction is the scientific one and topics like fuzzy control, applications of neuronal networks, application of methods of artificial intelligence for robot control, optimal path planning are currently headlines in this field. On the other hand the application oriented research goes in the direction to develop and create new low-cost concepts including industrial robots applicable in a commercially efficient way mainly in small and medium sized companies. The industry in most of the member countries of the Alpe-Adria Group are dominated by small and medium sized companies. Industrial robots together with the appropriate CIM-concepts are a very efficient tool for increasing the flexibility of such companies. At the first meeting in Portoroz (June 1992), a first overview on robotics research and applications in Alpe-Adria countries was given. First steps were done in the direction of a broader cooperation in science, development, production and level of education among these countries.