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Robotics glossary
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Robotics glossary
These 60 terms make supplier conversations easier to follow. Search for a word or abbreviation, read the everyday explanation, then use the question to check what it means for your project.
Imagined robotics concept artwork. It does not show a real installation or an approved manufacturer product.
Sixty robotics terms explained clearly, with an everyday example and a useful question for your supplier. Search by a word, abbreviation or topic.
Accuracy
Movement
How close an achieved position is to the intended reference position.
In everyday words: How close it gets to the target.
A useful question: Does the specification hold for our tool, load and working position?
AccuracyActuator
Robotics essentials
A component that turns supplied energy into movement under a control signal.
In everyday words: The part that makes a robot move, like a motor bending its arm.
A useful question: What movement, force and duty can it provide?
actuator actuatorsAGV — automated guided vehicle
Robotics essentials
A vehicle that moves goods along defined routes, often following installed guidance such as markers or magnetic tape.
In everyday words: A delivery cart that follows a set route.
A useful question: What guidance infrastructure does this particular vehicle need?
AGV AGVs automated guided vehicle automated guided vehiclesAMR — autonomous mobile robot
Robotics essentials
A mobile robot that uses sensors and navigation software to plan its movement through an environment. What it can handle depends on its configuration and the site.
In everyday words: A moving robot that works out a route using its sensors.
A useful question: Can it complete our route when people, obstacles and collection points change?
AMR AMRs autonomous mobile robot autonomous mobile robotsAPI
Software
An agreed interface through which software systems exchange requests and data.
In everyday words: A way for two programs to talk to each other.
A useful question: What access, compatibility and ongoing support are included?
API APIs application programming interfaceAutonomy
Robotics essentials
The ability to perform a task without continuous direct human control, within operating limits.
In everyday words: Doing a job without someone steering every move.
A useful question: When must a person intervene?
autonomy autonomousBacklash
Components
Free movement between interacting mechanical parts before motion is transmitted.
In everyday words: The small amount of looseness when a drive changes direction.
A useful question: What are its operating limits and replacement arrangements?
BacklashBin picking
Applications
Selecting and retrieving objects from a container, often with varying positions.
In everyday words: Picking a part out of a box of parts.
A useful question: Can you demonstrate it with our actual items and workflow?
Bin pickingCollaborative robot
Robot types
A robot designed with features for collaborative applications; the complete task still needs safety assessment.
In everyday words: A robot that may work alongside people when the setup is suitable.
A useful question: Which tasks has this model completed in a comparable setting?
Collaborative robot Collaborative robots cobot cobotsCollision avoidance
Navigation
Methods for preventing planned or actual contact with obstacles; performance depends on sensing and control.
In everyday words: Trying to keep the robot clear of things in its way.
A useful question: How does this work when our routes or obstacles change?
Collision avoidanceCommissioning
Deployment
Setting up and checking installed equipment for its intended operation.
In everyday words: Getting the installed system ready to do its job.
A useful question: What checks and handover records are included?
CommissioningComputer vision
Sensing
Software methods for extracting information from images or video.
In everyday words: Helping a computer make sense of pictures.
A useful question: Which conditions can cause missed or inaccurate readings?
Computer visionDegrees of freedom (DoF)
Robotics essentials
The independent movements a mechanism can make. A robot arm may have several rotating joints, each providing a movement.
In everyday words: The different ways a robot can move its joints.
A useful question: Can those movements reach and orient the tool throughout our task?
degrees of freedom degree of freedom DoFDepalletising
Applications
Removing items from a loaded pallet.
In everyday words: Taking goods off a pallet.
A useful question: Can you demonstrate it with our actual items and workflow?
Depalletising depalletizingDepth camera
Sensing
A camera system that measures distances across an image.
In everyday words: A camera that can tell how near or far things are.
A useful question: Which conditions can cause missed or inaccurate readings?
Depth camera Depth camerasDigital twin
Robotics essentials
A digital representation of a physical object or system, used to study or monitor it. The level of detail and connection to real data varies.
In everyday words: A computer version of something real.
A useful question: What real measurements keep this model useful and up to date?
digital twin digital twinsEdge computing
Software
Processing data near where it is produced instead of relying entirely on distant servers.
In everyday words: Doing the computing on or near the robot.
A useful question: What access, compatibility and ongoing support are included?
Edge computingEncoder
Components
A device that reports position or movement as an electrical signal.
In everyday words: A sensor that tells the controller how far something has moved.
A useful question: What are its operating limits and replacement arrangements?
Encoder EncodersEnd effector
Robotics essentials
The working device attached to the end of a robot arm, such as a gripper, suction tool or screwdriver.
In everyday words: The tool at the end of a robot arm.
A useful question: Which tool is included, and has it been tested with our objects?
end effector end effectors end-of-arm tooling EOATFirmware
Software
Software embedded in a device that controls its underlying operation.
In everyday words: The built-in instructions that run the hardware.
A useful question: What access, compatibility and ongoing support are included?
FirmwareFleet management
Robotics essentials
Software for coordinating several robots, including assigning jobs and monitoring availability.
In everyday words: A job organiser for a group of robots.
A useful question: Does it coordinate traffic and charging as well as allocate jobs?
fleet management fleet controlForce sensor
Sensing
A device that measures applied force, sometimes alongside torque.
In everyday words: A sensor that measures how hard something is pushed or pulled.
A useful question: Which conditions can cause missed or inaccurate readings?
Force sensor Force sensorsGearbox
Components
A mechanism that changes rotational speed and torque through gears.
In everyday words: Gears trading speed for turning force.
A useful question: What are its operating limits and replacement arrangements?
Gearbox GearboxesGripper
Robotics essentials
A tool that holds an object. Different designs use fingers, suction or other methods suited to particular objects.
In everyday words: The part that holds or picks up an object.
A useful question: Will it handle the variation in shape, surface and weight of our items?
gripper grippersHumanoid
Robotics essentials
A robot with a human-like form. Its appearance does not establish its capabilities.
In everyday words: A robot shaped somewhat like a person.
A useful question: Which tasks has this model demonstrated?
humanoid humanoidsImitation learning
AI and learning
Learning behaviour from demonstrations.
In everyday words: Learning a task by observing examples.
A useful question: How has performance been tested beyond the training examples?
Imitation learningIMU
Sensing
An inertial measurement unit containing motion sensors, typically accelerometers and gyroscopes.
In everyday words: A sensor package that helps track movement and rotation.
A useful question: Which conditions can cause missed or inaccurate readings?
IMU inertial measurement unitInference
AI and learning
Running a trained model on new input to produce an output.
In everyday words: Using what the model has learned.
A useful question: How has performance been tested beyond the training examples?
InferenceInverse kinematics
Movement
Calculating joint positions that achieve a requested tool position and orientation.
In everyday words: Choosing where the hand goes and working out how to bend the arm.
A useful question: Does the specification hold for our tool, load and working position?
Inverse kinematicsKinematics
Movement
The relationship between a mechanism’s geometry and motion, without analysing the forces causing it.
In everyday words: Working out how the joints and tool move together.
A useful question: Does the specification hold for our tool, load and working position?
KinematicsLarge language model
AI and learning
A model trained on substantial language data to process or generate text.
In everyday words: Software that works with language; it does not itself make a robot capable of a physical task.
A useful question: How has performance been tested beyond the training examples?
Large language model Large language models LLM LLMsLiDAR
Robotics essentials
A sensing method that uses laser light to measure distances. Robots can use these measurements to understand nearby surfaces and obstacles.
In everyday words: Measuring the surroundings with laser light.
A useful question: Which objects and environmental conditions are difficult for its sensors?
LiDARLocalisation
Robotics essentials
Estimating a robot’s position and orientation within its environment or map.
In everyday words: Working out where the robot is.
A useful question: How does it recover if it loses track of its position?
localisation localizationMachine learning
Robotics essentials
Software methods that learn patterns from data.
In everyday words: Learning from examples rather than being given every rule.
A useful question: How was performance tested on unfamiliar examples?
machine learningMachine tending
Applications
Loading, unloading or servicing a machine as part of its operating cycle.
In everyday words: Keeping another machine supplied with workpieces.
A useful question: Can you demonstrate it with our actual items and workflow?
Machine tendingMecanum wheel
Components
A wheel with angled rollers; coordinated sets can produce sideways and rotational movement.
In everyday words: Special roller wheels that let a vehicle slide sideways.
A useful question: What are its operating limits and replacement arrangements?
Mecanum wheel Mecanum wheelsMobile manipulator
Robot types
A robot arm mounted on a moving base.
In everyday words: An arm that can travel to the work.
A useful question: Which tasks has this model completed in a comparable setting?
Mobile manipulator Mobile manipulatorsOpen source
Software
Software distributed under a licence allowing access to its source and specified rights to use, modify and share it.
In everyday words: Code you may inspect and change under its licence.
A useful question: What access, compatibility and ongoing support are included?
Open source open-sourcePalletising
Applications
Arranging items onto a pallet, often to a planned stacking pattern.
In everyday words: Building a stack of goods on a pallet.
A useful question: Can you demonstrate it with our actual items and workflow?
Palletising palletizingPath planning
Navigation
Choosing a route through an environment while considering constraints.
In everyday words: Working out which way to go.
A useful question: How does this work when our routes or obstacles change?
Path planningPayload
Robotics essentials
The load a robot is specified to carry or handle. For an arm, the tool and object both matter; the load position can change what is permitted.
In everyday words: How much the robot can carry, including its tool where applicable.
A useful question: Does the quoted capacity include the gripper, and does it apply at our required reach?
payload payloadsPick and place
Applications
Picking up an object and moving it to a specified position.
In everyday words: Moving an item from one spot to another.
A useful question: Can you demonstrate it with our actual items and workflow?
Pick and place pick-and-placePLC
Software
A programmable logic controller used to control equipment through inputs, logic and outputs.
In everyday words: An industrial controller coordinating machines and signals.
A useful question: What access, compatibility and ongoing support are included?
PLC PLCs programmable logic controllerQuadruped
Robotics essentials
A robot that uses four legs.
In everyday words: A four-legged robot, often resembling a dog.
A useful question: Which surfaces has it been tested on?
quadruped quadrupedsReach
Movement
A measure of how far a robot can extend, with the precise reference defined by its specification.
In everyday words: How far the arm can stretch.
A useful question: Does the specification hold for our tool, load and working position?
ReachReinforcement learning
AI and learning
Learning a policy from interactions and a reward signal.
In everyday words: Trying actions and learning which outcomes score better.
A useful question: How has performance been tested beyond the training examples?
Reinforcement learningRepeatability
Movement
How closely a robot returns to the same position under stated test conditions.
In everyday words: How consistently it reaches the same spot.
A useful question: Does the specification hold for our tool, load and working position?
RepeatabilityROS — Robot Operating System
Robotics essentials
A collection of software libraries and tools for building robot applications. Support for ROS does not by itself mean a robot is ready for your task.
In everyday words: A toolbox programmers use to build robot software.
A useful question: Which version and interfaces are supported, and what example software is supplied?
ROS 2 ROS2 ROSSCARA robot
Robot types
An arm design commonly used for fast assembly and handling in a horizontal plane.
In everyday words: A robot arm well suited to moving parts across a bench.
A useful question: Which tasks has this model completed in a comparable setting?
SCARA robot SCARA robotsSDK — software development kit
Robotics essentials
A set of software tools, libraries and examples used to develop applications for a platform.
In everyday words: A developer’s starter toolbox for a particular product.
A useful question: What can developers access, and what remains restricted?
SDK SDKs software development kitService robot
Robot types
A robot that performs useful tasks for people or equipment outside industrial automation applications.
In everyday words: A robot doing jobs such as delivery or inspection.
A useful question: Which tasks has this model completed in a comparable setting?
Service robot Service robotsServo motor
Components
A motor used in a feedback-controlled positioning or motion system.
In everyday words: A motor whose movement is checked and corrected.
A useful question: What are its operating limits and replacement arrangements?
Servo motor Servo motorsSimulation
Robotics essentials
A computer model used to try out robot behaviour before or alongside physical testing. Its usefulness depends on how closely it represents the real task.
In everyday words: Trying something in a computer model before trying it for real.
A useful question: Which parts of the proposed task have also been tested on real hardware?
simulation simulationsSLAM
Robotics essentials
Simultaneous localisation and mapping: estimating where a robot is while it builds or updates a map of its surroundings.
In everyday words: Making a map while working out where you are on it.
A useful question: How does the system cope when the layout changes?
SLAMSoft robotics
Robotics essentials
Robotics that uses flexible materials for movement or contact.
In everyday words: Robot parts that bend or squish.
A useful question: Which objects can it handle?
soft roboticsSystems integrator
Robotics essentials
A company or team that brings robot hardware, software and other equipment together into a working installation.
In everyday words: The team that makes the different pieces work together.
A useful question: Who is responsible for the complete installation?
systems integrator system integrator integrator integratorsTeleoperation
Robotics essentials
A person controlling a robot from another location or through a separate control device. It can be used for demonstrations, data collection or operation.
In everyday words: A person driving or controlling a robot from a separate controller.
A useful question: When is a human operator needed, and where are they located?
teleoperation teleoperatedTool centre point
Movement
A defined point on the tool used as the reference for positioning.
In everyday words: The exact spot on the tool that the robot aims.
A useful question: Does the specification hold for our tool, load and working position?
Tool centre point TCP tool center pointTorque
Movement
The turning effect of a force about an axis.
In everyday words: Twisting effort, like turning a tight lid.
A useful question: Does the specification hold for our tool, load and working position?
TorqueTraining data
AI and learning
Examples used to fit or improve a machine-learning model.
In everyday words: The examples a model learns from.
A useful question: How has performance been tested beyond the training examples?
Training dataNo matching terms. Try a shorter word.