Fuzzy controllers are a class of knowledge based controllers using artificial intelligence techniques with origins in fuzzy logic. They can be found either as stand-alone control elements or as integral parts of a wide range of industrial process control systems and consumer products. Applications of fuzzy controllers are an established practice for Japanese manufacturers, and are spreading in Europe and America. The main aim of this book is to show that fuzzy control is not totally ad hoc, that there exist formal techniques for the analysis of a fuzzy controller, and that fuzzy control can be implemented even when no expert knowledge is available. The book is mainly oriented to control engineers and theorists, although parts can be read without any knowledge of control theory and may interest AI people. This 2nd, revised edition incorporates suggestions from numerous reviewers and updates and reorganizes some of the material.

Fuzzy controllers are a class of knowledge based controllers using artificial intelligence techniques with origins in fuzzy logic. They can be found either as stand-alone control elements or as integral parts of distributed control systems including conventional controllers in a wide range of industrial process control systems and consumer products. Applications of fuzzy controllers have become a well established practice for Japanese manufacturers of control equipment and systems, and are becoming more and more common in Europe and America. The main aim of this book is to show that fuzzy control is not totally ad hoc, that there exist formal techniques for the analysis of a fuzzy controller, and that fuzzy control can be implemented even when no expert knowledge is available. Thus the book is mainly oriented toward control engineers and theorists, although parts can be read without any knowledge of control theory and may be of interest to Al people. This 2nd, revised edition incorporates suggestions from numerous reviewers and updates and reorganizes some of the material.

The IFAC Workshop on Intelligent Components for Vehicles (ICV'98) was held in Seville (Spain), on March 23-24 1998. The event follows the Workshop on Intelligent Components for Autonomous and Semiautonomous Vehicles (ICASAV'95) held in Toulouse (France, October 1995).

The main objective of ICV'98 was to bring together specialists on components and instruments for automotive systems, mobile robots and vehicles in general to enhance the value of their experience in both hardware and software intelligent components.

Future vehicles will deal more and more with autonomous functions to improve safety and traffic management and to reduce consumption and pollution. Numerous on-board decision systems will replace the driver in critical running phases. The problems and solutions experienced, by adopting this new technology, will bring out many common points with other transportation systems and mobile robots.

Research and Developments on Mobile Robotics have produced many components for perception, control and planning that can be used in vehicles for collision detection and avoidance, position estimation, guidance and manoeuvering aids for drivers, advanced teleoperation, and other applications.

The topics of the Workshop are in an emerging field in which the research is quickly being converted into industrial products. Several applications in the automotive domain, marine vehicles, agricultural and others were included in the program.

In addition to the presentation of the papers, ICV also included a plenary talk and a round table about intelligent components for future vehicles with the participation of several industrial companies.

Intelligent control is an emergent field involving the development of new control techniques, such as reasoning, learning and perception, and has a great impact on a number of applications including robotics and process control. The symposium brought together control systems specialists, equipment manufacturers, and end-users, to evaluate techniques, components, and instruments for intelligent control. The selected papers in this volume cover intelligent control techniques, actuators, sensors, image processing, computer vision, software and communications. Papers relating to applications, such as robotics, power and process control, manufacturing, aerospace and traffic control are also included.