Computer systems today are almost ubiquitous, however, they are generally rigid, nonadaptive, and complex. Intelligent systems are computer systems that are flexible, adaptive, and intelligent. They will have the capability to perceive the world; integrate perception, planning and action; learn from experience and adapt behavior; communicate with users in human terms; reason about the tasks, knowledge and capability of other biological or artificial systems, etc. As such, intelligent systems are a technology that will significantly impact our economic and social systems in the next century. Advancement in each of the many enabling technologies required represents a major challenge and will have great impact in a wide range of applications, such has autonomous navigation, manufacturing, robotics, photo-interpretation, space exploration, document understanding, remote sensing, human-computer interaction, environmental monitoring, digital libraries, data mining, management, economics and health care.

The field of intelligent systems covers a wide variety of areas and crosses many disciplines including electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, mathematics, statistics, and management. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of intelligent systems it is extremely difficult to perform research within a single existing unit. The interdisciplinary nature of the research in intelligent systems makes it necessary to bring researches from many disciplines together. Cross fertilization by cooperation and interaction has the best hope of leading to major advances. Organized engineering research centers are a way to enhance the research productivity and their contribution to knowledge is well recognized. With these considerations in mind to contribute to the general goal of the University of California in teaching, research and service in intelligent systems, the Center for Research in Intelligent Systems (CRIS) at UCR was created in 1998. It is a Research Center of Excellence that crosses the disciplines of four colleges (Engineering, Natural & Agricultural Sciences, Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences and Management) and several departments (Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Entomology, Psychology, Statistics, Mathematics, Botany and Plant Science, Cell Biology & NeuroScience, Management, and Economics).