Moving Motion Planning from Matlab to Python

[wxmerkt]

• Most of that code lives in ik.py, could be renamed to ikMatlab.py and another ik.py put in place with some interface
• Key to separate process/thread, e.g. through threaded C++ layer or through Python process/thread that runs the SWIG-exposed drake
• Cf. ikserver.m / ikserver.py
• It'd be desirably to have a template that can be inherited and overwritten/implemented for different motion planning libraries, e.g. pydrake, pyexotica, dedicated motion planners

_Action Points_

1. [ ] write a test program that loads v5 and runs a IK and trajectory query using our most commonly used constraints, then publishes the results
2. [ ] perhaps rename ConstraintSet to MotionPlanningProblem, use as basis of generalisation
3. [ ] Compile list of what required capability is not yet exposed through SWIG, push upstream to drake
4. [ ] Someone with experience with ik.py (tbd) writes a replacement ik.py
5. [ ] Rename .runIkTraj to .plan()

(From our meeting on March 11, 2016)

[patmarion]

I made some first steps and merged the work with a pull request. Please see additional comments on the pull request https://github.com/RobotLocomotion/director/pull/240