24 Unit One Principles of Robotics
Overview
Even the most complex robotic system can be broken down into a few
basic components, which provide an overview of how a robot works. These
components are covered in this chapter, with more detail provided in later
chapters. Freedom of motion and the resulting shape of the robot’s work
area are also addressed in this chapter.
2.1 Parts of a Robot
Robots come in many shapes and sizes. The industrial robots illustrated
in Figure 2-1 resemble an inverted human arm mounted on a base. Robots
consist of a number of components, Figure 2-2, that work together: the
controller, the manipulator, an end effector, a power supply, and a means
for programming. The relationship among these five components is illus-
trated in Figure 2-3.
Forearm
Upper arm
Shoulder
joint
Elbow
Wrist
Figure 2-1. This robot has been designed expressly for use in precise path-oriented tasks such as
deburring, milling, sanding, gluing, bonding, cutting, and assembly. (Reis Machines, Inc.)