The Journal of Robotic Systems publishes archival papers in all aspects of basic and applied research on the analysis design realization and use of robots robot components and robot systems. The Journal places particular emphasis on publishing research contributions in emerging fields of robot system design and integration. The study of robotic systems is the theory and methodology common to all collections of interacting functional units that together achieve a definite purpose. Practically it is concerned with the engineering design of interrelated flexible automation units in addition to the basic problems of individual robots and robot components. The basic robotic topics are broadly defined mechanics control and sensor design . Mechanics includes the design and structure of manipulators arms end-effectors hands locomotion vehicles and peripherals; actuators power and energy storage; and kinematics dynamics and simulation. Control includes both theory (electrical and mechanical control optimization of spatial paths and task planning) and implementation (hardware and software). Sensors includes design of sensors and sensor systems and algorithms for sensory data acquisition and analysis. Topics specific to systems may be classified by complexity level: robot level (integration of mechanical controller and sensory components); robot-cell level (integration of robots peripherals cell control and local area network; applications and "taskware"; interface with human operators); and robot-plant level (integration of robot cells plant environment CAD/CAM interaction and planning and implementation of computer integrated flexible manufacturing). Robot systems have become increasingly more complex. Advances are still being made in the basic disciplines of mechanics control and sensors. However there are emerging fields in robotics that are less conventional. The Journal of Robotic Systems places particular attention on the publication of such articles in a section entitled Emerging Fields . This section will publish two or three articles in each issue in the newer fields of robot system design. The section on Emerging Field s will initially focus on two areas of robot system design: 1. Distributed robotics self-organization and swarm intelligence a field concerned with the design and operation of distributed multi-agent systems and the cooperative behavior of multiple robots . This topic includes the theory and implementation of robots capable of asynchronous and distributed control cooperative behaviors relationships to biological systems cellular robots and evolving systems. 2. Robot and human integration a field concerned with the coexistence of human and robotic components both "within an individual and in society." This is a newly emerging field of robotic systems and it