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How do industrial robot arms use links and joints to move?

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Humanoid robot — robot ASIMO, a two-legged humanoid robot developed by the Honda Motor Co.

Industrial robot arms are constructed as a sequence of links and joints that work together to facilitate movement.1

Links: These are the rigid structural members that connect the joints.1
Joints: Also known as axes, these are the movable components that create relative motion between adjacent links.1

There are five primary types of mechanical joints used in these manipulators, categorized by their movement:1
* Linear joints: These provide translational (sliding) motion between links.1
* Rotary joints: These provide rotational motion between links.1

The manipulator is typically divided into two functional sections:
1. Arm-and-body: Composed of three joints and large links, this section is responsible for moving and positioning tools or parts within the robot's workspace.1
2. Wrist: Consisting of two or three compact joints, this section is used to orient the tool or part at the specific work location.1

These movements are directed by a control system that processes programmed instructions to coordinate the actuators—the robot's "muscles"—which convert energy into the physical motion of the arm.21