This collection includes five papers assessing current and projected developments in the field of robotics and the implications of these developments for vocational-technical education. The first paper, "New Applications for Industrial Robots--Perspectives for the Next Five Years" (M. Illi) compares advances in robotics in Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany. In a paper entitled "Extension of Robot Capabilities through Artificial Vision," I. Aleksander compares three generations of artificial vision for robots and discusses the implications of advances in robot vision for future uses of robots. Professor H. H. Rosenbrock explores the relationship between people and machines in his paper "Robots and People in the Workplace.""Social Aspects of the Use of Robots: Implications for Working Conditions and Employment" (R. Schneider) discusses some of the positive and negative effects that robots are likely to have on the workplace. The final paper, "Training and Qualifications Needs" summarizes the conclusions drawn by the authors of the first four papers concerning the training needs of persons working in the field of robotics. (MN)