AbstractAn experimental program was undertaken to investigate the elastodynamic response characteristics of a General Electric P50 robot retrofitted with a prototype graphite‐epoxy forearm. The retrofitted robot with this high‐strength, high‐stiffness lightweight arm was then programmed to execute a variety of maneuvers and the attendant elastodynamic deflections were measured. These experimental data were then compared with the results of complementary studies of the original robot which featured an aluminum arm. The preliminary experimental results from this proof‐of‐concept study clearly demonstrate the superior performance characteristics of the robot retrofitted with the comp