The goal of the VIRGO network is to coordinate European research and postgraduate training activities that address the development of intelligent robotic systems able to navigate in (partially) unknown and possibly changing environments. This goal will be achieved through a framework which enhances RTD activities in European laboratories, already established in the aforementioned scientific area. Specifically, in pursuing this goal, alternative environment representations based on visual information will be studied and methods to process these representations and use them to control the motion of the mechanical parts of a robot will be developed. The VIRGO network consortium consists of ten organisations from eight European countries: FORTH (network coordinator), AUC, DIST, TUG, KTH, U-BONN, INRIA, GMD, DIKU, U-ZURICH.