This thesis would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of a cast of wonderful people. Thanks are especially in order to my research supervisor, Professor Gregory Dudek, who patiently guided my research through more than a few difficult hurdles, whose enthusiasm for the research was an inspiration, and whose assistance and support has gone far beyond the call of duty both inside and outside the research lab.
I would also like to thank my extended family at the Centre for Intelligent Machines, including in particular Marc Bolduc, Paul Mackenzie and Thierry Baron for software and hardware support; Nick Roy, Michael Daum, Eric Bourque and Scott Burlington for creative stimulation and camaraderie; Ornella Cavalliere for administrative support; and finally Professor Martin Levine, for his support and guidance, and for hiring me in the first place.
The first translation of the Abstract into French was done by Christian Ghajarian, and extensively corrected by François Bélair. Funding for my research was provided by National Science and Engineering Research Council in the form of a postgraduate scholarship.
Finally, I'd like to thank my family for their love and support, and for giving me the freedom and encouragement to explore my interests.
This thesis is dedicated to Nisha, for believing in me.