Systematic approaches to abstraction-based motion control of complex, physical systems are still largely missing from the control-theoretic foundations of embedded system design. Examples of high-degree of freedom physical systems include humanoids, multi-leg robots, minimally-invasive surgical robotics, and cooperative systems. This work aims at understanding how high-level motion program languages can be made to form a basis for an effective software system for such complex, interconnected mechanical systems. For this, novel tools and techniques are to be developed along the following directions: 1) construction of motion description languages based on optimal control techniques; 2) development of a novel, graph-based representation of mechanical systems that allows for a compact representation of mechanical systems for simulation and analysis; 3) automatic generation of dynamically feasible motion primitives from empirical data; 4) development of an experimental testbed based on autonomous marionette puppets that can execute the developed motion programs--this testbed will also serve as a unique learning environment for students in that it requires an understanding of highly nonlinear dynamic systems, networking architectures for synchronization, hybrid systems, and optimal control.
