With no previous experience required, BASIC ROBOTICS walks readers step by step through the fundamentals of the industrial robot system. It begins with an exploration of the fascinating technological history that led to the modern robot, starting with events from Before the Common Era and ending with a glimpse of what the robots of tomorrow might become. From there the book explores safety, various parts of the robot, tooling, power transmission systems, the basics of programming, troubleshooting, maintenance, and much more. Engaging photos highlight various robotic systems and their parts, while stories of real-world events bring text concepts to life. This innovative First Edition incorporates many of the initiatives of STEM and is the culmination of lessons learned from the author's years of teaching robotics in various formats—from the traditional classroom to the industrial production floor with systems ranging from the LEGO Mindstorms NXT to the FANUC robot.