ABSTRACT
In the 1970s the future looked particularly rosy for developers of robotic systems. With hindsight it is clear that this was because something new really stimulates the users of automation; their enthusiasm has not been rewarded with the introduction of a vast number of robotic solutions to automatic problems. Indeed, the thinking now is away from the use of complicated robotic systems to more simple, uniformly usable systems. In this chapter a number of robotic systems will be reviewed and a path for future developments set out for the reader to ponder.
