Unlike a serial robot, in which the end-effector is connected to a base through a sequential series of motor-actuated joints, the end-effector of a parallel robot is connected to the base through several mechanisms in parallel, each of which has typically only one or two actuated joints. Parallel robots are much more intricate and versatile than serial ones but are, generally, lighter, faster, more precise, and more rigid.

Parallel robots can be applied to virtually every situation that requires the movement of a body. We are riding hexapods in entertainment parks, the cookies that we eat were packed by a parallel manipulator, our favorite football match is shown through a fly-over camera mounted on a wire parallel robot, our eyeglasses were polished by a parallel kinematic machine. Parallel robots are everywhere and steadily continue their proliferation. But unlike serial ones, parallel robots are so different that it is impossible to enumerate them.

Fundamentals of Parallel Robots, however, provides an in-depth insight into the very principles of motion that are responsible for the complex variety of parallel robots. A unique preparatory text for advanced students of mechanical engineering, the book follows a unified geometric approach a" arranged by types of robots a" rather than employing purely numerical or algebraic methods, and also makes extensive use of examples and self-study problems which encourage unorthodox thinking. Fundamentals of Parallel Robots can also be used as a self-study reference for advanced robotics researchers and practicing engineers who wish to learn more about parallel robots.