Neural and fuzzy information processing, evolutionary computation, artificial life, chaos, etc., referred often collectively as computational intelligence, have by nature a strong connection to robotics and automation. During the past decade, numerous applications of computational intelligence to robotics and automation have appeared as partial or full alternatives to conventional approaches. A potentially explosive growth of applications is expected in the near future with many practical as well theoretical contributions, as research and practice of computational intelligence mature. Researchers are paying close attention to the emergence of new computational principles as they are applied in particular to robotics and automation. Indeed, the computational intelligence enables real-time and robust connections between sensing and action through learning. However, many research results as well as the growing level of interest in computational intelligence by the robotics and automation community have been scattered around various conferences and symposiums of more general themes. CIRA'97 will provide an international forum which draws together researchers and practitioners working on different aspects of computational intelligence in robotics and automation to exchange their ideas, concepts, and results. Participants will enjoy high quality, focused, and in-depth discussions on the subject matters of their interest.