Robotics Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Robotics.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
A device that converts energy (electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic) into mechanical motion, enabling a robot to move its joints, wheels, or end-effectors.
A control system that uses sensor feedback to continuously compare actual output with the desired setpoint and adjust actuator commands accordingly to minimize error.
A collaborative robot designed to operate safely alongside humans in a shared workspace, typically incorporating force sensing, speed limits, and rounded surfaces.
The field of AI enabling robots to extract meaningful information from visual data such as images and video, including object detection, tracking, and scene understanding.
The number of independent motions a robot or mechanism can perform. Each DOF corresponds to one joint or axis of movement in the system.
The device or tool mounted at the end of a robotic arm that interacts directly with the environment, such as a gripper, welder, or vacuum cup.
The mathematical process of computing the position and orientation of a robot's end-effector from its known joint parameters (angles and displacements).
An open-source 3D robotics simulator integrated with ROS that provides realistic physics, sensor simulation, and environment modeling for testing robot algorithms.
A type of end-effector designed to grasp and hold objects. Grippers can be mechanical (finger-based), vacuum (suction-based), magnetic, or soft (compliant materials).
Technology that provides tactile or force sensations to a human operator, enabling them to feel what a robot touches during teleoperation or virtual interaction.
The mathematical process of determining the joint angles needed to place a robot's end-effector at a specified position and orientation. It may have zero, one, or multiple solutions.
A matrix that maps joint velocities to end-effector velocities in a robotic manipulator. It is used for velocity control, force analysis, and detecting kinematic singularities.
Light Detection and Ranging: a remote sensing technology that uses laser pulses to measure distances and generate precise 3D point-cloud maps of the surrounding environment.
A robotic arm consisting of a series of links connected by joints, designed to move objects or tools through space. Industrial manipulators are classified by their kinematic structure (articulated, SCARA, Cartesian, delta).
The interdisciplinary engineering field combining mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and control engineering to design and create intelligent electromechanical systems, including robots.
The estimation of a robot's position and orientation change over time based on motion sensor data such as wheel encoders or inertial measurement units (IMUs).
The computation of a collision-free trajectory from a start configuration to a goal configuration within a known or partially known environment.
A proportional-integral-derivative feedback controller that adjusts actuator output based on the error between desired and actual states, widely used for motor speed and position control in robots.
An open-source middleware framework providing libraries, tools, and conventions for developing robot software, including message passing, hardware abstraction, and simulation interfaces.
An electric motor with integrated feedback (typically an encoder) and a control circuit that enables precise control of angular position, velocity, and acceleration.
A robot configuration in which the manipulator loses one or more degrees of freedom, causing the Jacobian to become rank-deficient and making certain end-effector motions impossible or requiring infinite joint speeds.
Simultaneous Localization and Mapping: a set of algorithms that enable a robot to construct a map of an unknown environment while simultaneously determining its own position within that map.
A field focused on coordinating large numbers of relatively simple robots that collectively achieve complex behaviors through decentralized, local interactions inspired by biological swarms.
The remote control of a robot by a human operator, often enhanced with video feeds and haptic feedback to provide situational awareness and dexterity at a distance.