Preface.- Kinematics of Rigid Bodies.- Mechanisms.- Serial Mechanisms.- Evaluation of Mechanisms.- Singular Planes and Dexterous Robot Mechanisms.- Redundant Mechanisms.- Parallel Mechanisms.- Robot Contact.- Robot Grasp.- Kinematic Model of the Human Hand.-Index.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the area of robot mechanisms, primarily considering industrial manipulators and humanoid arms. The book is intended for both teaching and self-study. Emphasis is given to the fundamentals of kinematic analysis and the design of robot mechanisms. The coverage of topics is untypical. The focus is on robot kinematics. The book creates a balance between theoretical and practical aspects in the development and application of robot mechanisms, and includes the latest achievements and trends in robot science and technology.

From the reviews:“Systems of rigid bodies (links) connected by joints form kinematic chains. When chains have a link fixed to the ground, they are referred to as mechanisms, omnipresent in industrial robotics realities. Here, Lenarcic … provide a self-contained, analytical study of the kinematics of these mechanisms. … Topics covered in the book include kinematic analysis of serial mechanisms, kinematic singularities, kinematic redundancies, and parallel mechanisms. … Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students.” (G. Trajkovski, Choice, Vol. 50 (7), March, 2013)“This book is an extended version of the lecture notes on robot mechanisms taught for a decade at the School of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. … Numerous informative figures and instructive diagrams are presented and the mathematical material appears just in places where it is needed. The book is intended for postgraduate and doctoral students or young researchers in the field of robotics.” (Krzysztof Tchoń, Mathematical Reviews, January, 2013)