Optical Metrology is a rapidly expanding field i'n both its scientific foundations and technological developments, being of major concern to measurements, quality control, non-destructive tes ting and in fundamental research. In order to define the state-of-the-art, and to evaluate pre sent accomplishments, whilst giving an appraisal of how each of the particular topics will evolve the Optical Metrology-anAdvancedStudy Institute was organized with a concourse of the world's acknowledged experts. Thus, the Institute provided a forum for tutorial reviews blended with topics of current research in the form of a progressive and comprehensive presentation of recent promising developments, lea ding techniques and instrumentation in incoherent and coherent optics for Metrology, Sensing and Control in Science, Industry and Biomedici ne. Optical Metrology is a very broad field which is highly inter disciplinary in its applications, and in its scientific and technolo gical background. It is related to such diverse disciplines as physi cal and chemical sciences, engineering, electronics, computer scien ces, biological sciences and theoretical sciences, such as statistics. Although there was an emphasis on photomechanics and industri al applications, a marked diversity was reflected in the different background and interests of the participants. The vitality and viabi lity of the discipline was enhanced not only by the encouraging number of young scientists and industrialists participating and authoring, but also by the remarkably promising prospects found in x the practical applications supported by advanced electronic hybridi zation.
