Motion Control Theory Needed in the Implementation of Practical Robotic Systems James Mentz Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Hugh F. VanLandingham, Chair Pushkin Kachroo Richard W. Conners April 4, 2000 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Motion Control, Robotics, Obstacle Avoidance, Navigation Copyright 2000, James Mentz .Motion Control Theory Needed in the Implementation of Practical Robotic Systems James Mentz (Abstract) Two areas of expertise required in the production of industrial and commercial robotics are motor control and obstacle navigation algorithms. This is especially true in the field of autonomous.