Intelligent Robotic Manipulation of Cluttered Environments

Dedicated to my family ii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents who have always believed in me and given me the freedom to pursue whatever I have wanted to. I realize that this freedom is a huge privilege and am grateful for it every day. I am blessed to have their constant support and encouragement. This dissertation would not have been possible without the guidance and support of my advisor, Prof. Gaurav Sukhatme. I never cease to be amazed by his clear view of the big picture and his ability to always ask the right questions. I am thankful for his insights whenever I was stuck and for the many things that I have learned from him over the course of my graduate studies. I cannot imagine my graduate school life without my labmates who have shared many ups and downs of research with me. Their warm friendship and kindness made lab a fun place for me. I am lucky to have been mentored by Sameera Poduri (once again afte