Therefore, picking up parts piled randomly inside a bin has long posed a challenge for robot makers.

Federal regulations like that would be a sales boon to robot makers like Foster-Miller.

Several would-be robot makers fell by the wayside, among them Remek of Milton Keynes.

Even newer robot makers like Adept, a four-year-old privately held company based in San Jose, Calif., feel it.

Most robot makers are willing to do systems integration work for customers and some even seek it.

Japanese and European robot makers also piled in.

Although plant automation is the primary interest of the 'mech-tronics' firms and most other robot makers, the Japanese have many uses for robots outside the factory.

But while waiting for markets to develop, robot makers face a struggle to stay afloat.

Certch answered, "In the name of Evvan (the master robot maker), don't mention anything about the 700!

To make the change-overs as quick and painless as possible, robot makers have applied the lessons of personal computers to the "user interface."