Key Terms in Robotics: A Comprehensive Glossary

In the constantly evolving world of technology, understanding the terminology is a crucial first step towards gaining a deeper knowledge. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key terms in the field of robotics, demystifying the jargon and providing a clear guide for newcomers and veterans alike. Whether you’re an enthusiastic hobbyist or a seasoned professional, this glossary can serve as a valuable reference tool in your robotics journey.

The Glossary

• Robot: An automated machine capable of performing tasks without human intervention.
• Actuator: A device that converts energy into motion in a robot.
• Sensor: An instrument that detects changes in physical phenomena like temperature or light and sends information about these changes to the robot’s controller.
• AI (Artificial Intelligence): The branch of computer science that allows a robot to understand and respond to its environment.
• Autonomous Robot: A robot that can operate without human control or supervision.
• Biomimicry: The process of designing robots inspired by biological systems.
• Controller: A device or software that directs the robot’s actions based on inputs from the sensors.
• Degrees of Freedom (DOF): The number of independent movements a robot can make.
• End Effector: The device at the end of a robotic arm designed to interact with the environment.
• Gripper: A type of end effector used for grasping objects.
• Haptic Feedback: The sensation of touch feedback provided by a robot to its operator.
• Inverse Kinematics: The mathematical process of determining the movements of a robot’s joints to achieve a specific position of the end effector.
• Jacobian: A matrix representing the first derivatives of a function. In robotics, it is used in the calculation of both forward and inverse kinematics.
• Kinematics: The science of motion, specifically, the way robots move.
• Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging): A remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure distances.
• Machine Learning: A subset of AI that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed.
• Manipulator: The arm of a robot.
• Microcontroller: A small, low-cost computer on a single integrated circuit which is the ‘brain’ of some robots.
• Motion Planning: The process of breaking down a movement task into ‘primitives’ such as individual joint movements.
• Odometry: The use of sensor data to estimate change in position over time.
• Path Planning: The computational problem of defining a trajectory for the motion of a robot.
• Payload: The maximum weight a robot can lift or carry.
• PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) Controller: A control loop feedback mechanism widely used in control systems, including robots.
• ROS (Robot Operating System): A flexible framework for writing robot software, offering a collection of tools, libraries, and conventions.
• Servo Motor: A rotary or linear actuator that allows for precise control of angular or linear position, velocity, and acceleration.
• SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping): A computational problem of constructing or updating a map of an unknown environment while keeping track of an agent’s location.
• Stewart Platform: A type of parallel manipulator with six prismatic actuators, commonly used in flight simulators.
• Swarm Robots: A group of robots working together to complete a task.
• Teleoperation: The operation of a robot from a distance.
• Trajectory Planning: The aspect of motion planning that deals with the movement of robots from one point to another.
• Uncanny Valley: A concept that refers to the discomfort people feel when robotic and other artificial human replicas look and act almost like the real thing, but not perfectly.
• Underactuated Robot: A robot with fewer control inputs than degrees of freedom.
• Vision System: A system consisting of one or more cameras that allow a robot to gather information about its environment.
• Workspace: The set of all points that can be reached by the end effector of a robot.
• X, Y, Z Coordinates: The three coordinates in a 3D space to which the end effector of a robot can move.
• Yaw, Pitch, Roll: The three angles that define the orientation of a robot in 3D space.
• Zero Moment Point: A concept related to the dynamics and stability of articulated systems, such as robots.
• Dynamics: The study of forces and torques and their effect on motion.
• Force Control: A way of controlling the forces that a robot exerts on its environment.
• Gait: The pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion.
• Holonomic: A term that describes the controllability of a mechanical system.
• Interpolation: The process of determining intermediate values between two points to give a smooth transition.
• Jogging: A method of manually moving a robot to a desired position or along a desired path.
• Kinesthetic Teaching: A method of training a robot by physically guiding its motions.
• Leadthrough: A programming method where an operator physically moves a robot to teach it a path.
• Mechatronics: The combination of mechanical, electronic and software engineering in the design of products or processes.
• Revolute Joint: A type of joint in a robot that allows for rotation around a single axis.
• SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm): A type of robot that is used mainly in assembly applications due to its accuracy, speed, and durability.
• Tactile Sensor: A device that measures information arising from physical interaction with its environment.
• Torque: The rotational force applied to a robot joint.

Final Thoughts