The text begins with an overview of concepts from system theory. New results are provided on feedback stabilization and smooth control of non-holonomic systems. Control design moves from open-loop steering control of an individual vehicle to cooperative control of multiple vehicles, a progression culminating in a decentralized control hierarchy requiring only local feedback information. Novel methods are presented: parameterization for collision avoidance and optimization in path planning, near-optimal control for tracking and regulation of non-holonomic chained systems and matrix-theoretical analysis of cooperativity. These methods generate solutions of guaranteed performance for problems of: optimal and collision-free path planning, near-optimal stabilization of non-holonomic systems, cooperative control of dynamic systems. Examples, simulations and comparative studies add zest to the fundamental issues, illustrate the technical approaches and verify the performance of the final control designs.