Conclusion Since the introduction of industrial robots in the automotive industry, robotics research has evolved over time towards the development of robotic systems to help the human in dangerous, risky or unpleasant tasks. As the complexity of tasks has increased, flexibility has been demanded in industrial robots, and robotics research has veered towards adaptive and intelligent systems. Since 1995, robotics research has entered the field- and ser- vice-robotics world, where we can find manipulators, mobile robots and animal-like robots with great perspectives of devel- opment and increasing research interest. Surgical robots have been the first successes, and recently different areas in medical- and rehabilitation-robotics applications have arisen. Other examples can be found in the fields of home cleaning, refuel- ing and museum exhibitions, to name just a few areas. Service-robotics research is also aimed at providing a com- fortable, easy life for the human being in an aging world. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) forecasts strong growth of professional robots in application areas such as humanoid robots, field robots, underwater systems and mobile robot platforms for multiple use in the period of 2005–2008 [86]. The UNECE also forecasts a tremendous rise in personal robots in the next few years. Robotics research has to make a great effort to solve in very few years the challenges of this new field of research, which will be largely determined by interaction between humans and robots. Figure 10 summarizes the evolution of robotics research over the last 50 years. It is a fact that, during the last decade, the activity in con- ferences and expositions all over the world has reflected low activity in industrial manipulators and huge activity in other areas related with manipulation in unstructured environments and mobility, including wheeled, flying, underwater, legged and humanoid robots. Maybe the key is that new challenges in manipulation in factories require less research now because factory needs lie in the field of traditional engineering. With these premises we can conclude: Yes, definitely robotics research is moving from industrial to field and service applications, and most robotics researchers are enthu- siastic about this broad, exciting field. One development that is very representative of the way the field is evolving is the controversy set off by Prof. Engelberger, the creator of the first robotics company, at the 2005 International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, when he commented on the needless research by both Japanese companies and scientific institutions for developing toy-like animal and humanoid robots for very doubtful use. Engelberger thus gained many detractors, who have rapidly argued back that these kinds of robots are a necessary step in the evolution towards real robots capable of helping disabled persons, performing dan- gerous work and moving in hazardous places. Other defenders of the development of human-like per- sonal robots advocate the importance of aiming at such chal- lenging tasks because of the technology that can be developed, which would prove very important from the commercial point of view in other industrial activities. Maybe behind all the arguments there still lies the human dream of the universal robot—a single device that can per- form any task. Nothing better for that than a device resem- bling—what else?—a human being. So, let our imagination fly into the world of service robotics, but, please, do not for- get to keep an eye on traditional industrial manipulators.