The present research Project is located in the fields 5 (Artificial Vision, Image Processing and Pattern Recognition) and 9 (Fault detection and diagnose and Predictive Maintenance) of the Programa Nacional de Diseño y Producción Industrial, and the proposal appears as an horizontal initiative according to the priorities of that programme. In addition to the adequacy and benefits this project can provide, the proposed research programme has solid foundations in the achievements obtained by the groups involved in the projects TIC2000-1703 TIC2003-08496 that are, at present, close to finish. Those projects have produced visible positive results (high quality papers, a national thematic network, very relevant participation at international events, etc.). Those projects have also provided a high degree of maturity in the specific research activity for the participant groups and self-confidence in their capability develop technological transfers to the industrial sector. This is one of the main tasks those groups are committed to within the present proposal.

In order to achieve such an objective, the researches from the groups involved have analyzed and detected the needs of the local industrial sector. In this way we got to know the great importance for those companies to have production systems that can automatically adapt to changing environmental productive conditions. The techniques developed by the present groups can provide effective solutions to those needs by means of a problem-specific customization.

On the other hand, we are also committed to keep on researching on improving those techniques for better efficiency, results validation and ease of use. IN addition to this, we want to get involved in new research areas, of recent popularity, like: Combining Pattern Classifiers and information fusion, continuous learning, adaptive classification and non-conventional techniques for data clustering and organization. Those techniques can, in turn, help to improve some specific applications.