The field of knowledge-based systems (KBS) has expanded enormously during the last years, and many important techniques and tools are currently available. Applications of KBS range from medicine to engineering and aerospace. This book provides a selected set of state-of-the-art contributions that present advanced techniques, tools and applications. These contributions have been prepared by a group of specialist researchers and professionals in the field. The theoretical topics covered include: knowledge acquisition, machine learning, genetic algorithms, knowledge management and processing under uncertainty, conflict detection and resolution, structured knowledge architectures, and natural language-based man-machine communication. The applications include: real-time decision support, system fault diagnosis, quality assessment, manufacturing production, robotic assembly and robotic welding.