ROBOTICS ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS: A Practical Reference to Motion Planning, Automation Architecture, Programming Methods, and Intelligent Machines

ROBOTICS ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS

Robotics Engineering Fundamentals is a practical handbook for people who work with real robotic systems. It starts from first principles and builds toward cell design, commissioning, and maintenance. Every equation is explained in physical terms, and every concept is tied to the decisions engineers actually make.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• How robot arms, joints, actuators, transmissions, sensors, and controllers work together as one system
• Coordinate frames, transformations, forward and inverse kinematics, singularities, and the dynamics behind payload and torque
• Motion planning and trajectory generation, from velocity profiles to collision avoidance and configuration space
• Servo motors, gearing, encoders, feedback, and the control concepts behind accurate, stable motion
• Robot programming and teaching practice, offline programming, simulation, and virtual commissioning
• PLCs, HMIs, safety controllers, industrial networks, and robot-to-PLC handshakes
• Grippers, vacuum, tooling, and workholding, including gripping-force calculations
• Machine vision, hand-eye calibration, AI-enabled robotics, and mobile robots
• A step-by-step method for designing a robotic work cell
• Robotics safety, risk assessment, lockout/tagout concepts, commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance
• Robot selection, cycle-time and OEE analysis, and project development from requirements to production

BUILT FOR REAL-WORLD USE
30 chapters in 10 parts, from fundamentals to practical reference
Worked examples with stated assumptions and units
Practice with answer guidance
Structured troubleshooting in a Problem, Causes, Diagnosis, Action, Prevention format
Practical comparison tables and illustrated figures
Seven appendices of checklists and equation summaries, plus a comprehensive glossary

WHO IT IS FOR
engineering and mechatronics students, automation and maintenance engineers, controls and manufacturing technicians, robot programmers, system integrators, and electrical or mechanical engineers moving into robotics. No advanced robotics background is required.

AN HONEST, VENDOR-NEUTRAL APPROACH
Robot languages, interfaces, diagnostics, and safety rules differ by manufacturer, jurisdiction, and application. This book teaches principles that carry across platforms. It does not present any one brand's commands or error codes as universal. Safety is covered throughout, but it never replaces a site-specific assessment risk, manufacturer instructions, or applicable regulations.

Whether you are learning the field, commissioning your first cell, or keeping a production line running, this book gives you a clear, structured reference you will return to again and again.