Robotics is the science that attempts to forge an intelligent, computational connection between perception and action. Perhaps the most fundamental problems in robotics today are uncertainty and error in control, sensing, and modelling. In this monograph the author provides what is perhaps the first systematic treatment of the uncertainty problem. This book descibes the theory he developed for planning compliant motions for tasks such as robotic assembly. The planner can synthesize robot control programs that are robust in the face of uncertainty in the control system, the robot sensors, and...

Algorithms that control the computational processes relating sensors and actuators are indispensable for robot navigation and the perception of the world in which they move. Therefore, a deep understanding of how algorithms work to achieve this control is essential for the development of efficient and usable robots in a broad field of applications. An interdisciplinary group of scientists gathers every two years to document the progress in algorithmic foundations of robotics. This volume addresses in particular the areas of control theory, computational and differential geometry in robotics,...