The second edition of this book would not have been possible without the comments and suggestions from my students, especially those at Columbia University. Many of the new topics introduced here are a direct result of student feedback that helped me refine and clarify the material. My intention when writing this book was to develop material that I would have liked to had available as a student. Hopefully, I have succeeded in developing a reference that covers all aspects of robotics with sufficient detail and explanation. The first edition of this book was published in 2007 and soon after its publication it became a very popular reference in the field of robotics. I wish to thank the many students and instructors who have used the book or referenced it. Your questions, comments and suggestions have helped me create the second edition. Preface This book is designed to serve as a text for engineering students. It introduces the fundamental knowledge used in robotics. This knowledge can be utilized to develop computer programs for analyzing the kinematics, dynamics, and control of robotic systems.
