本书系统、深入地介绍了模块化机器人的关键技术、方法以及实际应用，内容包括机器人的机械、机器人的硬件、机器人的电源系统、机器人的信息获取、机器视觉等。本书可作为高等院校自动化、机械工程、机电一体化、系统工程、信息工程、计算机等相关专业研究生教材，也可以作为工程技术人员与科研工作者的参考书。

杨桂林, received the B.E. and M.E. degrees from Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China, in 1985 and 1988 respectively, and the Ph.D. degree from Nanyang Technological University in 1999, all in mechanical engineering. He is currently the deputy president of Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also the director of Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology. His research interests include precision electromagnetic actuators, compliant mechanisms, parallel-kinematics machines, cable-driven robots, modular robots, and robotic automation systems. He has published over 300 technical papers in referred journals and conference proceedings, authored 3 books, and filed 50 patents. He was a recipient of R&D 100 Awards in 2014.

1 Introduction
1.1 Motivation
1.2 Past Research and Development Efforts
1.3 Overview of This Book
2 Module Designs
2.1 Module Design Requirements
2.2 Joint Modules
2.2.1 Revolute Joint Modules
2.2.2 Prismatic Joint Modules
2.3 Link Modules
3 Modular Robot Representation
3.1 Graphs
3.1.1 Basic Graph Definitions
3.1.2 Matrix Representation of Graphs
3.2 Kinematic Graphs
3.3 Reclassification of Links and Joints
3.4 Assembly Incidence Matrix
4 Modular Serial Robot Kinematics
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Geometric Background and the POE Formula
4.2.1 Geometric Background
4.2.2 The POE Formula
4.3 Forward Kinematics
4.3.1 Dyad Kinematics
4.3.2 Forward Kinematics for a Tree-Structured Modular Robot
4.4 Inverse Kinematics
4.4.1 Differential Kinematics Model for a Single Branch
4.4.2 Differential Kinematics Model for a Tree-Structured Robot
4.4.3 Computation Examples
4.4.4 Remarks on Computation Results
5 Kinematic Calibration for Modular Serial Robots
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Kinematic Calibration Models
5.2.1 Basic Calibration Models
5.2.2 An Iterative Least-Squares Algorithm
5.2.3 Kinematic Calibration of Tree-structured Robots
5.3 Computation Examples
5.3.1 Calibration of a three-module Robot
5.3.2 Calibration of a SCARA Type Robot
5.3.3 Calibration of a Tree-structured Robot
6 Modular Serial Robot Dynamics
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Newton-Euler Equation for a Link Assembly
6.3 Dynamic Formulation for a Tree-Structured Modular Robot
6.3.1 Recursive Newton-Euler Algorithm
6.3.2 Closed Form Equations of Motion
6.3.3 Remarks on the Dynamics Algorithms
6.3.4 Implementation and Examples
6.4 Inverse and Forward Dynamics Problem
6.4.1 Inverse Dynamics
6.4.2 Forward Dynamics
7 Optimization of Modular Serial Robot Configurations
7.1 Introduction
7.2 General Design Methodology
7.3 Optimization Model
7.3.1 Definition of Robot Tasks
7.3.2 Design Parameters and the Search Space
7.3.3 Objective Function
7.3.4 Performance Constraints
7.4 Evolutionary Algorithm
7.4.1 Coding Scheme
7.4.2 AIM Generating Scheme
7.4.3 Genetic Operators on AIMs
7.4.4 Implementation of the Evolutionary Algorithm
7.5 Computation Examples
8 Modular Parallel Robot Kinematics
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Displacement Analysis
8.2.1 Forward Displacement Analysis
8.2.2 Inverse Displacement Analysis
8.3 Instantaneous Kinematics Analysis
8.3.1 Forward Instantaneous Kinematics Analysis
8.3.2 Inverse Instantaneous Kinematics Analysis
8.4 Singularity Analysis
8.4.1 Forward Singularity
8.4.2 Inverse Singularity
8.4.3 Combined Singularity
8.5 Workspace Analysis
8.5.1 Numerical Orientation Workspace Analysis
8.5.2 Finite Partition Schemes
9 Kinematic Calibration for Modular Parallel Robots
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Self-calibration for Three-legged Modular Parallel Robots
9.2.1 Self-calibration Model Based on Leg-end Distance Errors
9.2.2 An Iterative Least-squares Algorithm
9.2.3 Computation Example
9.3 Base-tool Calibration for Three-legged Modular Reconfigurable Parallel Robots
9.3.1 Base-tool Calibration Model Based on POE Formula
9.3.2 An Iterative Least-squares Algorithm
9.3.3 Computation Example
References