Robots and more generally mechanical systems are types of a physical system. This is why it
is important to study and control these systems using information about their particular
structure that describes their particular nature. In discussing physical systems concepts like
energy interconnection and interaction become of substantial importance. Furthermore during
the modeling and control tasks the results we obtain should be independent from artificial
co-ordinates that people use to analyse the results of their work. This has lead to the concept
of co-ordinate free description and tensors that have been used a lot in the theory of
relativity. Throughout this book emphasis is placed on the intrinsic description of the results
reported. The book describes the modeling and control of robotic systems subject to
interaction. It covers everything from basic concepts of differential geometry to real
robotics. Physics and the geometric interconnection of arts play a major role throughout the
work.
