Raj B.K.N. Rao (COMADEM Centre, Faculty ofEngineering and Computer Technology, Birmingham Polytechnic, Perry Barr, Birmingham, UK) Y.H.J. Au and B.J. Griffiths (Department ofManufacturing and Engineering Systems, BruneI University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK) To create, to engineer, to err and to destroy are basic human traits. Human progress depends upon the balanced exploitation of some of these traits. Our quality and standards of living are closely intertwined with the effective management ofsome of these traits and the limited physical resources that are at our disposal. The only sensible approach to harmonize and blend these two spheres is to effectively monitor, diagnose and control our own actions and reactions,