A general procedure to derive a dynamic model for a revolute flexible robot arm constructed from laminated composite materials is presented in this study. The rotary inertia and shear deformation effects are included in the model to study the dynamic response of robotic manipulators made of thick beams. Only the last link of the arm is considered to be flexible. Hamilton's principle is used to derive the equations of motion. A displacement finite element model based on the Timoshenko beam theory is implemented to approximate the solution. The digital simulation studies examine the combined effects of rotary inertia and shear deformation. Furthermore, the improvement in the dynamic response of the robot arm due to the fabrication of the manipulator from laminated composite materials is demonstrated.