What are the basic components of a robot manipulator?

• A. It consists of joints and links, where joints provide relative motion and links are rigid members between joints.
• B. It consists of sensors and controllers.
• C. It consists of actuators and frames only.
• D. It consists of hoses and valves.

Answer: (A)

The basic idea is that a robot manipulator is built from a chain of rigid pieces connected by joints. Joints provide the relative motion between consecutive links, while the links themselves are the rigid members that form the structure and carry loads from one end to the other. This combination creates the arm’s reach and dexterity, with common joints like revolute (rotation) and prismatic (linear) enabling different kinds of motion. Actuators drive the joints and the control system coordinates them, but those elements are about driving and control rather than forming the manipulator’s fundamental mechanical skeleton.