Robot Industry Glossary

The ability of a robot to position its end-effector at a commanded point in space, measured as the deviation between the commanded and actual positions.

A sensor that provides the exact angular position of a joint or shaft at all times, even after power loss, by reading unique digital codes.

A sensor that measures proper acceleration (changes in velocity), widely used in mobile robots, drones, and inertial navigation systems.

The degree to which a robot’s actual position or path matches the commanded position or path. Distinguished from repeatability.

The process of converting energy into motion or force to produce movement in a robot.

A device that converts energy (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic) into physical motion. Includes motors, servos, cylinders, and artificial muscles.

A force-based control strategy where the robot responds to externally applied forces by adjusting its position or velocity, commonly used in collaborative robots.

An unmanned aircraft or drone capable of autonomous or semi-autonomous flight, including multirotors, fixed-wing UAVs, and hybrid platforms.

The study and design of robots that can recognize, interpret, and simulate human emotions and social cues.

A robot designed for farming tasks such as planting, harvesting, weeding, crop monitoring, and livestock management.

A mobile robot that follows markers or wires in the floor or uses vision/tape for guidance.

The simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems, including learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding. Integral to modern robotics.

Systematic errors in robot decision-making caused by unrepresentative training data, potentially leading to unsafe or discriminatory behavior.

The process of ensuring that robot axes, tools, and workpieces are properly oriented relative to a coordinate system.

A technology environment that is sensitive and responsive to the presence of people, often integrating robots into smart environments.

A robot that can navigate and perform tasks in dynamic environments without fixed paths, using onboard sensors and AI for real-time decision-making.

A humanoid robot designed to resemble and mimic a human in appearance and behavior, often used in research and entertainment.

The U.S. national safety standard for industrial robots and robot systems.

A robot designed with human-like form and capabilities.

The attribution of human characteristics to robots; important in social robotics and human-robot interaction design.

A set of protocols and tools that allows software to communicate with robot hardware and middleware systems.

Application Programming Interface or Software Development Kit that exposes robot functionality to external applications or custom scripts.

A robot designed for underwater or surface-water operation, including ROVs, AUVs, and amphibious robots.

An industrial robot specifically configured for automated arc welding processes such as MIG, TIG, and spot welding.

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware (microcontroller boards) and software (IDE). It enables creators to build interactive projects by reading inputs—such as sensors, buttons, or signals—and converting them into outputs like motor movement, LED activation, or online actions.

A safety-rated laser or LiDAR scanner that monitors a defined zone and triggers robot slowdown or stop when a person or object enters.

A mechanical limb consisting of links and joints that provides a robot with reach, dexterity, and manipulation capability.

A family of RISC-based processors widely used in embedded robotics systems due to their low power consumption and efficiency.

A robot with rotary joints (typically 4-7 axes), resembling a human arm, offering high flexibility and range of motion.

The broader field of creating systems that can perform tasks requiring human-like intelligence.

A material or device that contracts, expands, or rotates in response to stimuli (electricity, pressure, heat), mimicking biological muscles.

Fictional ethical framework (1942) later adapted into discussions on machine safety constraints, liability, and value alignment.

A robot designed for the precise assembly of components in manufacturing, such as electronics, automotive parts, and consumer goods.

An unmanned robot that operates on the surface of water for surveying, environmental monitoring, or defense.

In dynamical systems and robot learning, a state or trajectory toward which a system naturally converges; used in movement primitives.

A mobile robot that follows marked lines, wires, or predefined paths, often requiring infrastructure modifications.

Describes a robot capable of performing tasks and making decisions without direct human control or intervention.

A mobile robot that can understand and move through its environment without direct human control or fixed paths.

The ability of a robot to operate and make decisions without human intervention, ranging from pre-programmed to fully self-directed.

A classification system describing the degree of independence a robot has, from teleoperated (Level 0) to fully autonomous (Level 5).

The independent directions of motion available to a robot. A 6-axis robot can move in three translational and three rotational directions.

A single degree of freedom of motion in a robot joint-either rotational (revolute) or linear (prismatic).

A voltage generated by a spinning motor that opposes the applied voltage; used for sensorless speed estimation in robotic motors.

The ability of a robot joint or mechanism to be moved by external forces when unpowered, important for safe human-robot interaction.

Mechanical play or lost motion in gear systems caused by gaps between gear teeth, reducing precision and introducing vibration.

The frequency range over which a robot’s control system can accurately respond to commands, affecting speed and precision of motion.

The fixed reference coordinate system attached to the robot’s base, from which all other frames and positions are calculated.

An energy storage device used to power mobile or untethered robots.

Electronics that monitor and control battery charging, discharging, temperature, and health in mobile robots and drones.

A probabilistic algorithm that estimates a robot’s state by combining predictions with sensor measurements, including Kalman and particle filters.

An architecture where robot behaviors are layered and compete or cooperate to produce actions.

A teleoperation control scheme where both the master (human) and slave (robot) devices exchange force and position information.

A comprehensive list of parts, sub-assemblies, and components required to build a product.

A robotic application involving the random grasping of parts from a container using 3D vision and motion planning.

Robotics drawing design principles from biological systems.

Systems integrating living biological tissues (muscle, neural cells) with synthetic components for self-repair and adaptive energy use.

The study of the mechanics of living organisms, often applied to human-robot interaction or prosthetics.

A robot designed by imitating biological organisms, such as robotic insects, fish, snakes, or cheetahs.

The application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems.

A two-legged walking robot, such as ASIMO or Atlas, requiring complex balance control and dynamic locomotion.

A short-range wireless communication protocol used in small robots, wearables, and IoT-connected robotic devices.

A coordinate system fixed to the robot’s body or link, used for local measurements and control calculations.

A path planning pattern (alternating left-to-right and right-to-left rows, like plowing a field) used in coverage and lawn-mowing robots.

A mechanical device that holds a robot joint in place when power is removed, critical for safety in vertical or loaded configurations.

An efficient, low-maintenance electric motor used in robotics, lacking brushes and using electronic commutation instead.

A category of modular robot kits that allow users to assemble and program custom robots for education and prototyping.

The management of a robot’s buoyancy in underwater applications, enabling depth changes without excessive thruster use.

Software used to design and model robot structures, mechanisms, and components in 3D before manufacturing.

The process of adjusting a robot’s kinematic model and sensor readings to match real-world measurements, improving accuracy.

The process of determining a camera’s intrinsic (focal length, distortion) and extrinsic (position, orientation) parameters for vision-based robotics.

A robust communication protocol widely used in industrial robots, mobile robots, and automotive systems for connecting actuators and sensors.

Funds spent by a company to acquire or upgrade physical assets like robots.

Moves along three orthogonal linear axes (X, Y, Z), ideal for large-volume 3D printing, CNC routing, and material handling.

A certification mark indicating conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold in the EU.

A work area containing a robot, its controller, and any safety devices and equipment needed for a specific task.

The point where a robot’s total mass is effectively concentrated; critical for stability in walking and mobile robots.

The process of converting a production line from one product to another.

The structural frame or body of a mobile robot that supports all components, including motors, sensors, and electronics.

The programming and design of coordinated robot movements for performance, entertainment, or demonstration purposes.

Control theory based on transfer functions, frequency response, and Laplace transforms, including PID and lead-lag controllers.

A control system that uses feedback from sensors to continuously adjust the robot’s actions to achieve a desired state.

Offloading heavy computation, data storage, and collective learning to centralized cloud servers, enabling fleet-wide knowledge sharing.

A robot designed to work safely alongside humans in shared workspaces, equipped with force sensing, rounded designs, and speed limitation.

Modes of human-robot interaction defined in ISO/TS 15066.

Designed to safely share workspace with humans, featuring force limiting, rounded edges, and advanced collision detection.

A shared area where humans and robots work together safely.

Algorithms and sensor systems that prevent a robot from colliding with obstacles during navigation or manipulation.

The capability of a robot to sense and respond to unintended contact with objects or people, either through force/torque sensors or software models.

The ability of a robot or joint to yield slightly under external force. Can be passive (mechanical) or active (control-based).

A mechanical structure that achieves motion through elastic deformation of flexible elements rather than traditional joints.

The field of enabling computers to interpret and understand visual data from images or videos.

A specific set of joint positions (angles or displacements) that defines the pose of a robot at any moment.

The abstract space of all possible robot configurations, used for planning and collision avoidance algorithms.

A company that produces goods for another brand under contract.

The continuous process of reading sensor data, computing control actions, and sending commands.

A capability allowing a robot to pick or place objects on a moving conveyor belt by synchronizing its motion with the belt’s speed.

Multiple robots working together on a shared task, requiring coordination, communication, and distributed planning.

A type of friction that opposes motion with a constant force regardless of speed, common in robot joints and gears.

Algorithms that generate paths ensuring a robot’s sensor or tool covers an entire area, used in cleaning, mowing, and inspection.

A tracked mobile robot designed for rough terrain, stairs, and outdoor environments, offering high traction and stability.

Imaging technology used in industrial robotics for non-destructive inspection of internal structures of manufactured parts.

An integrated system combining computation, networking, and physical processes; foundational concept for Industry 4.0 and smart robots.

The science of control and communication in animals and machines, foundational to robotics.

A being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts; the intersection of robotics and bioengineering.

The total time taken for a robot to complete one full operation and return to start position.

An actuator that converts fluid pressure into linear motion, used in industrial robots and heavy-duty applications.

A standardized convention for assigning coordinate frames to robot links and describing their kinematic relationships using four parameters.

A numerical method used in inverse kinematics to avoid singularities by adding a damping factor to the pseudoinverse calculation.

A direct current electric motor widely used in small to medium robots for rotational actuation.

A middleware standard for real-time, scalable, and reliable data communication (used in ROS 2).

Estimation of a robot’s position by integrating velocity or displacement from a known starting point, prone to drift over time.

A subset of machine learning using multi-layer neural networks, applied in robot perception, grasping, and decision-making.

The number of independent motions a robot can perform. Often corresponds to the number of joints in a manipulator.

A robot control architecture that builds a world model, plans actions, and then executes them, as opposed to reactive architectures.

A parallel kinematic manipulator using three arms connected to universal joints, enabling extremely high-speed picking over small workspaces.

See D-H Parameters.

The process of installing, configuring, and commissioning a robot in its operational environment.

A camera that captures per-pixel distance information (depth maps), including structured light, ToF, and stereo cameras.

The measurement of distances to objects in a robot’s environment using cameras, LiDAR, sonar, or infrared sensors.

Product design principles that optimize components for efficient and reliable robotic assembly.

A small, table-mounted robot arm or platform used for light tasks such as pick-and-place, education, or prototyping.

Precise positioning of a robot in a known environment using predefined coordinates and calibration data.

A robot’s ability to manipulate objects with skill and precision, often defined by the number of DOF and end-effector design.

A mobile robot locomotion method using two independently driven wheels on a common axis, with speed differences controlling direction.

The integration of digital technologies into manufacturing processes.

A seamless data flow across the entire product lifecycle, from design to service.

A virtual replica of a physical robot or system, updated in real-time, used for simulation, monitoring, and predictive maintenance.

A motor configuration where the output load is attached directly to the motor shaft without gears, eliminating backlash and improving precision.

A system model used in robot coordination where state changes occur at discrete points in time, modeled with finite state automata or Petri nets.

A sensor measuring the linear or angular position of a robot component, including LVDTs, potentiometers, and encoders.

Located farther from the robot’s base; in a robot arm, the distal end is the end-effector or tool.

See Degrees of Freedom.

A wheeled platform or fixture used to move heavy objects or robots in manufacturing environments.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of autonomous or remote-controlled flight, used in surveying, delivery, agriculture, and inspection.

A robot with two arms that can perform coordinated bimanual manipulation tasks, mimicking human two-handed operations.

Control strategies that account for the full dynamics (inertia, Coriolis, gravity) of a robot for precise high-speed motion.

A mathematical representation of the forces and torques acting on a robot, including mass, inertia, friction, and external loads.

The study of forces and torques required to produce robot motion, governed by Newton-Euler or Lagrangian equations.

Running inference and lightweight training directly on robot hardware to minimize latency, bandwidth, and cloud dependency.

Processing data locally on or near the robot rather than in a remote cloud, enabling low-latency real-time decision-making.

Processing data on the robot (“at the edge”) rather than in the cloud, reducing latency for time-critical decisions.

A robot designed to teach programming, engineering, and STEM concepts to students at various levels.

See End-Effector.

A nonlinear state estimation algorithm used in robotics for sensor fusion, localization, and SLAM.

An actuator with an intentionally compliant (spring-like) element, providing shock absorption and energy storage.

A dedicated computer system within a robot that performs specific control tasks, often running real-time operating systems (RTOS).

AI research focusing on agents (robots) that learn through interaction with a physical environment, not just data.

A hardware-level safety circuit that removes power from robot actuators in an emergency, more severe than an E-Stop.

A hardware-level safety circuit that immediately cuts power to actuators when triggered, independent of software control loops.

A sensor that converts rotary or linear motion into electrical signals, providing position and velocity feedback for robot joints.

The device at the end of a robotic arm designed to interact with the environment such as a robotic gripper, welder, or camera).

See End-Effector. Also includes mounting plates, tool changers, and sensors attached at the robot’s wrist.

Technologies that capture ambient energy (solar, vibration, thermal) to power small robots and extend mission duration.

The complete volume of space that a robot’s end-effector can reach, defined by its mechanical structure and joint limits.

A bomb disposal (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) robot used by military and law enforcement to remotely inspect and neutralize threats.

The geometric relationship between two camera views used in stereo vision to compute depth information.

The study of designing robot workstations and interfaces to optimize human comfort, safety, and productivity.

A high-performance industrial Ethernet protocol widely used for real-time communication between robot controllers and drives.

The practice of designing, developing, and deploying AI systems that are fair, transparent, and beneficial.

The straight-line distance between two points in space, a fundamental calculation in robot navigation and path planning.

A wearable robotic device that augments human strength, endurance, or rehabilitation by assisting limb movement.

Making AI/robotic decision-making transparent and understandable to humans, crucial for trust in autonomous systems.

The process by which an autonomous robot discovers and maps unknown environments using sensors and planning algorithms.

A sensor that measures the external environment, such as cameras, LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, and infrared sensors.

A camera configuration where the vision sensor is fixed in the environment, observing the robot from an external position.

The use of robots and control systems to automate manufacturing processes, reducing human intervention and increasing efficiency.

A design principle ensuring that a robot defaults to a safe state upon system failure, such as braking joints or releasing tools.

Engineering principle ensuring that system failures default to a safe state such as brakes engaged, power cuts, motion halts).

The process of identifying and describing key visual or geometric elements (edges, corners, points) in sensor data for robot perception.

Sensor information returned to a robot’s controller about the current state (position, force, velocity) used for error correction.

A closed-loop system where sensor data is continuously compared to a reference signal to adjust actuator outputs.

A control strategy that anticipates and compensates for known disturbances or dynamics without relying solely on feedback.

Predictive control that compensates for known disturbances or dynamics before errors occur, often paired with feedback.

Industrial robot operation without physical safety barriers, using sensors and software to ensure human safety (see Cobot).

A robot design with redundant systems so that failure of one component does not prevent continued safe operation.

A visually distinctive marker placed in the environment for robot localization and camera calibration.

A robot designed for outdoor agricultural tasks, operating in unstructured and variable terrain.

Robots operating in unstructured, natural environments such as agriculture, mining, forestry, and space.

A rounded corner or edge on a robot component, reducing stress concentration and improving manufacturability.

A computational model used in robot behavior programming where the robot transitions between a finite number of defined states.

Low-level software embedded in robot hardware components (motors, sensors, controllers) that directly manages device operations.

A device that holds a workpiece in a precise and repeatable position during robotic manufacturing operations.

The onboard computer system managing the sensors, motors, and navigation of a drone or aerial robot.

An auxiliary tracked appendage on tracked robots used to climb obstacles, improve stability, or self-right after a flip.

A mobile robot that operates on the ground, as opposed to aerial or underwater robots.

In leader-follower architectures, a robot that copies or follows the motions or commands of a leader robot or human operator.

A control strategy where a robot regulates the contact forces between its end-effector and the environment, critical for polishing, assembly, and surgery.

Measures applied forces and moments at the wrist or end effector, enabling compliant manipulation and assembly tasks.

The calculation of a robot’s end-effector position and orientation from its known joint positions using transformation matrices.

A software platform providing reusable tools and libraries for robot development, such as ROS, ROS 2, YARP, or Orocos.

The resistive force opposing relative motion between surfaces in contact, affecting robot joint performance and requiring compensation in control.

Techniques in robot control that estimate and counteract friction forces to improve motion accuracy and smoothness.

The absence of unreasonable risk due to hazards caused by malfunctioning electrical/electronic systems.

A 3D printing technology frequently used in robotics for prototyping parts, jigs, and custom end-effectors.

A computational approach using degrees of truth rather than binary logic, applied in robot control and decision-making under uncertainty.

The pattern of limb movement during locomotion, such as walking, trotting, or bounding in legged robots.

A Cartesian robot mounted on an overhead frame, offering large work volumes and high payload capacity for pick-and-place and machining.

A probability distribution commonly used in robotics for representing sensor noise, state estimation, and uncertainty.

A popular open-source robot simulation environment (now part of OSRF, often used with ROS).

High-fidelity physics simulation environments used for testing algorithms, training AI agents, and validating launch/robot_bringup.launch configurations before deployment.

A mechanical system, such as a gearbox, that trades speed for increased torque.

A mathematical representation of a robot’s structure describing the spatial relationships between its links and joints.

A pivoted support that allows rotation of an object (camera, sensor) about one or more axes, used in drones and stabilization systems.

Satellite-based positioning systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) used for outdoor robot localization and navigation.

A brand of smart 3D line profilers and inspection sensors used in robotic quality control applications.

An optimization algorithm used in robot learning, inverse kinematics, and neural network training to minimize error functions.

Algorithms that determine how and where a robot should grip an object, considering object geometry, pose, and task constraints.

A classification system for types of robotic grasps (power, precision, pinch, enveloping) based on contact geometry and task.

A type of end effector designed to grasp and manipulate objects using a parallel, vacuum, or magnetic actuation

A robot designed for terrestrial locomotion, encompassing wheeled, tracked, and legged platforms.

A sensor that measures angular velocity (rate of rotation), essential for attitude estimation and stabilization in mobile robots and drones.

A collaborative operation mode where a human operator physically moves the robot arm to program or guide it.

Technology that recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user (common in teleoperation).

The science of touch and the integration of tactile feedback into human-computer interactions.

A software layer that provides a uniform interface to diverse robot hardware, simplifying driver development and portability.

A compact, zero-backlash gear system enabling high reduction ratios in compact robotic joints.

The upper section of a humanoid or social robot, often housing cameras, microphones, speakers, and display screens for interaction.

A group of robots with different capabilities, morphologies, and roles working cooperatively on a common task.

A practical rule or strategy that guides robot planning and problem-solving when optimal solutions are computationally infeasible.

A six-legged robot offering excellent stability and terrain adaptability, inspired by insect locomotion.

The hardware and software that allows humans to interact with robots, including teach pendants, touchscreens, and gesture recognition.

Describes a robot that can move in any direction instantaneously such as omnidirectional robots with Mecanum wheels, having full mobility in its workspace.

A projective transformation between two image planes, used in robot vision for planar surface mapping and camera calibration.

The interdisciplinary study of how humans and robots communicate, collaborate, and coexist, encompassing safety, usability, and social aspects.

A robot with a body shape resembling a human, typically featuring a head, torso, two arms, and two legs, designed to operate in human environments.

A control architecture combining deliberative (planning-based) and reactive (sensor-driven) approaches for robust robot behavior.

An actuator powered by pressurized fluid, offering high force and power density, commonly used in heavy industrial and construction robots.

A fluid-based power transmission system used in robots to transfer actuation from remote motors to joints with high force capability.

A lag in a robot’s response to changing input due to internal friction, magnetic effects, or material properties, causing position error.

The application of IoT in industrial settings for monitoring and control.

The calculation of joint angles required to place a robot’s end-effector at a desired position and orientation, often computationally challenging.

Training robots by observing expert demonstrations (human or synthetic), bypassing manual reward function design.

A motion-based control strategy where a robot behaves like a mechanical impedance (mass-spring-damper) at its end-effector for compliant interaction.

A device combining accelerometers and gyroscopes (sometimes magnetometers) to measure orientation, velocity, and gravitational forces.

Integration of robots, PLCs, and conveyors to perform repetitive manufacturing tasks with high precision and throughput.

A programmable, automated machine used in manufacturing for tasks like welding, painting, assembly, and material handling, typically in a caged environment.

The fourth industrial revolution characterized by smart factories, IoT, AI, and interconnected autonomous robots and systems.

The resistance of a robot’s body or link to changes in its state of motion; a key parameter in dynamic modeling and control.

A sensor that measures acceleration and angular velocity to determine orientation and movement.

A self-contained navigation method using IMU data to estimate a robot’s position and orientation without external references.

A robot designed to examine infrastructure, pipelines, buildings, or industrial equipment for defects, corrosion, or wear.

A software application providing comprehensive tools for writing, testing, and debugging robot control programs.

A complete workcell with robot, machine(s), safety systems, and controls.

The process of combining robot hardware, software, sensors, and tooling into a complete working system for a specific application.

A robot equipped with AI capabilities enabling it to perceive, learn, reason, and adapt to complex and changing environments.

Algorithms that predict human goals from gestures, gaze, voice, or physiological signals to enable proactive robot responses.

The calculation of required joint torques/forces to produce a desired robot motion, essential for model-based control.

The computation of joint angles required to achieve a desired end-effector position and orientation.

The network of interconnected devices and sensors that enables robots to share data and coordinate with other systems over the internet.

A ruggedized computer used to run robot control software in harsh industrial environments with real-time requirements.

NVIDIA’s robotics simulation platform for designing, testing, and training robots using synthetic data and GPU-accelerated physics.

International standards defining safety requirements for industrial robots and collaborative robot applications.

An algorithm that aligns two point clouds or 3D scans by iteratively minimizing the distance between corresponding points, used in SLAM and object recognition.

A matrix that relates joint velocities to end-effector velocities, used in control and singularity analysis.

A simplified method for inverse kinematics and force control that uses the transpose of the Jacobian matrix instead of its inverse.

A phenomenon in granular or flexible grippers where particles or layers lock together under pressure to grip objects conformably.

NVIDIA’s line of embedded AI computing modules widely used in autonomous robots for deep learning inference and sensor processing.

A custom fixture that holds workpieces in precise alignment for robotic manufacturing, assembly, or inspection.

A connection between two robot links that allows relative motion, classified as revolute (rotational), prismatic (linear), or other types.

The angular position of a revolute joint, one of the primary controlled variables in articulated robots.

The ability of a robot joint to accommodate external forces through passive (spring) or active (control) means.

A coordinate frame attached to a specific joint, used for describing local motion and forces.

The maximum and minimum range of motion for each robot joint, set by mechanical design and safety requirements.

The space defined by all possible values of a robot’s joint variables, as opposed to task space or Cartesian space.

A time-parameterized sequence of joint positions, velocities, and accelerations planned for smooth robot motion.

The rate of change of a joint’s position, a controlled variable in robot motion planning and execution.

An input device used by a human operator to manually control robot motion in teleoperation and teach modes.

NASA research center responsible for developing advanced robots for space exploration, including the Mars rovers.

An enclosure housing electrical connections and wiring between robot components, providing protection and organization.

An optimal recursive estimator for linear Gaussian systems, widely used for sensor fusion and state tracking. Extended (EKF) and Unscented (UKF) variants handle nonlinearity.

Microsoft’s depth-sensing camera, originally for gaming, widely adopted in robotics research for 3D perception and human tracking.

A series of rigid links connected by joints, forming the structure of a robot arm; open chains (serial) and closed chains (parallel) are the two main types.

A mathematical description of a robot’s geometry and joint relationships, used to compute positions without considering forces.

When a robot has more degrees of freedom than required for a task, enabling optimization of secondary criteria like obstacle avoidance.

The study of motion without considering forces, dealing with positions, velocities, and accelerations.

A library for calculating kinematics and dynamics of robotic manipulators (used in ROS).

The energy of a robot’s motion, calculated as 21?mv2+21?I?2, important for dynamic modeling and energy-efficient planning.

A major German manufacturer of industrial robots, cobots, and robotic software, known for high-performance articulated robots.

A statistical measure of the “tailedness” of a distribution, used in robot fault detection and vibration analysis.

An energy-based formulation of robot dynamics using kinetic and potential energy, providing an elegant method for computing equations of motion.

A sensor that measures distances by emitting laser beams and detecting reflections, creating 2D or 3D point clouds for mapping and navigation.

Relating to the side-to-side direction of a robot; lateral motion is perpendicular to the forward direction.

A multi-robot architecture where one robot (leader) is guided by a human or algorithm, and other robots (followers) maintain formation.

A systematic method for minimizing waste without sacrificing productivity.

A robot that moves using articulated legs, offering superior terrain adaptability compared to wheeled or tracked platforms.

A scale measuring the degree of robot independence, from full human control (teleoperation) to fully autonomous operation.

Light Detection and Ranging; a remote sensing method using laser pulses to measure distances and create 3D maps.

The study of how humans and robots communicate, collaborate, and interact.

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping using LiDAR data, enabling robots to build maps and localize within unknown environments.

The systematic management of a robot from design and deployment through operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning.

Procedures to ensure a production line is properly set up and cleared of previous products.

An actuator that produces straight-line motion, including electric linear motors, ball screws, and pneumatic cylinders.

The approximation of a nonlinear robot model with a linear one around an operating point, simplifying control design.

A rigid body segment in a robot’s kinematic chain, connecting two joints and defining the robot’s geometry and reach.

The distance between consecutive joint axes in a robot arm, a fundamental parameter in the kinematic model.

A geometric curve generated by combining perpendicular sinusoidal motions, used in robot trajectory generation and calibration.

A transducer that converts force into an electrical signal for measurement.

The process of determining a robot’s position and orientation within its environment using sensors, maps, and estimation algorithms.

The method by which a robot moves through its environment, including wheeled, legged, tracked, flying, swimming, and crawling.

A robot used in warehouses, distribution centers, and supply chains for sorting, transporting, and managing goods and inventory.

The recognition that a robot has returned to a previously visited location, used in SLAM to correct accumulated drift in the map.

The fast, real-time control layer directly commanding robot actuators (motor current, velocity loops), typically running at 1 kHz or higher.

An optimal control method that minimizes a quadratic cost function for state and control effort, applied in robot stabilization and trajectory tracking.

A type of recurrent neural network used in robotics for time-series prediction, gesture recognition, and sequential decision-making.

A simplified robot model that represents distributed physical properties (mass, stiffness) as concentrated elements at discrete points.

A branch of AI where algorithms learn patterns from data to improve robot performance without being explicitly programmed for every scenario.

Application of algorithms that allow robots to learn from data/experience such as reinforcement learning for control or deep learning for perception.

A robot loading/unloading parts or materials into/from a production machine such as CNC, injection molding, or forming machines.

The use of cameras and image processing for automated inspection, measurement, and guidance in robotic manufacturing systems.

A measure of how well a robot can move its end-effector in all directions from a given configuration; related to the Jacobian matrix.

A robot arm designed for grasping and manipulating objects, consisting of a series of links and joints with an end-effector.

A spatial representation of a robot’s environment, including occupancy grids, topological maps, and point clouds.

The process by which a robot constructs a representation of its environment using sensor data, a key component of SLAM.

A robot designed for underwater or surface marine operations, including AUVs, ROVs, and autonomous boats.

A teleoperation architecture where a human controls a master device and the robot (slave) replicates the movements.

An industrial robot used for picking, placing, palletizing, depalletizing, and transferring materials in factories and warehouses.

A programming and simulation environment widely used in robotics for algorithm development, control design, and robot modeling (with Robotics System Toolbox).

The dynamic relationship between force and velocity at a robot’s endpoint, controlled in impedance control strategies.

An assembly of rigid bodies (links) connected by joints that transforms motion and force, forming the basis of all robot structures.

An interdisciplinary field combining mechanical engineering, electronics, and computer science.

A robot designed for surgical assistance, rehabilitation, hospital logistics, prosthetics, or diagnostic procedures in healthcare.

Miniaturized sensors and actuators fabricated using semiconductor processes, including IMU components and micro-robots.

The process of combining maps from multiple robots into a single consistent representation in multi-robot SLAM.

A communication topology where robots relay data through each other, providing robust connectivity in large or complex environments.

A robot at the millimeter or micrometer scale, used in medicine (targeted drug delivery), manufacturing, and scientific research.

A compact integrated circuit containing a processor, memory, and I/O, used for low-level robot control of sensors and actuators.

Software layer that enables message passing, service calls, and data synchronization between disparate robot components and nodes.

A protocol sometimes used in robotics for coordinating robot musicians and musical performances.

A robot combining a mobile base with a robotic arm, enabling manipulation tasks across a large workspace.

A robot capable of moving through its environment, including wheeled, legged, tracked, flying, and swimming platforms.

The study of a robot’s natural vibration frequencies and mode shapes, used to avoid resonance and improve structural design.

An advanced control strategy that optimizes future robot behavior over a prediction horizon while respecting constraints.

An engineering approach using mathematical models and simulation to design, test, and validate robot systems before building hardware.

Composed of interchangeable joints and links that can be rearranged to adapt morphology for different tasks.

A robot composed of standardized, interchangeable modules that can be reconfigured for different tasks or environments.

A property of a robot link that quantifies its resistance to angular acceleration about an axis, critical in dynamic calculations.

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping using a single camera, relying on visual features and motion estimation for 3D reconstruction.

A particle filter-based probabilistic algorithm for robot localization using a known map and noisy sensor data.

The physical form and structure of a robot, including body shape, number of limbs, size, and material composition.

Technology that records the movement of objects or humans using cameras or sensors, used in robot programming and HRI research.

The technology and algorithms used to precisely control the position, velocity, and acceleration of robot actuators.

The computational problem of finding a sequence of valid configurations that moves the robot from a start to a goal while avoiding obstacles.

An electromechanical device that converts electrical energy into rotational or linear motion, the primary actuator in most robots.

An electronic device that regulates motor current, velocity, and position based on commands from the robot controller.

A motion planning framework for robotic manipulation, often used with ROS.

An advanced control strategy that optimizes future control actions over a finite horizon using a dynamic model of the system.

Activities and supplies that keep equipment running but are not part of the final product.

A system of multiple autonomous robots (agents) that interact, coordinate, and negotiate to achieve individual or collective goals.

Multiple robots working together, requiring coordination, communication, task allocation, and conflict resolution.

A control method using electromyography (EMG) signals from human muscles to control prosthetic robots or exoskeletons.

A robot at the nanometer scale (1-100 nm), envisioned for medical applications such as cellular repair and targeted drug delivery.

The process of determining a robot’s path from one location to another, including localization, mapping, path planning, and motion execution.

A software framework providing integrated modules for localization, mapping, path planning, and obstacle avoidance.

A fundamental algorithm in robotics for finding the closest point in a dataset, used in path planning (RRT), grasping, and clustering.

A computational model inspired by biological neurons, used in robot perception, control, planning, and learning from demonstration.

Hardware architectures mimicking biological neural networks, enabling ultra-low-power, event-driven perception and control.

Recursive equations of motion for robot dynamics, computing joint torques from link accelerations, velocities, and external forces.

The expected or ideal condition of a robot’s parameters or trajectory, with deviations addressed by feedback control.

Describes a robot whose instantaneous motion is constrained, such as a car-like robot that cannot move sideways, limiting its maneuverability.

Control methods designed for systems with nonlinear dynamics, including sliding mode, adaptive, and feedback linearization techniques.

A bell-shaped probability distribution commonly used to model sensor noise and uncertainty in robot state estimation.

The set of joint velocities that produce zero end-effector motion in a redundant robot, used to optimize secondary objectives like joint limits.

Inverse kinematics solved through iterative numerical methods such as Newton-Raphson and Jacobian pseudoinverse, rather than closed-form solutions.

A joint type providing wobbling motion, used in some parallel robots and specialized robotic devices.

The ability of a robot to identify and locate objects in sensor data (images, point clouds), a core perception capability.

CV tasks that localize objects (YOLO, Faster R-CNN) or classify every pixel (Mask R-CNN, DeepLab) for scene understanding.

The process of identifying what objects are in a robot’s environment using computer vision and machine learning.

Algorithms and mechanisms enabling a robot to detect and navigate around obstacles in its path during operation.

A 2D or 3D probabilistic map representation where cells are marked as occupied, free, or unknown based on sensor data.

The estimation of a robot’s position by integrating wheel encoder data over time, subject to cumulative drift errors.

A metric measuring manufacturing productivity (availability, performance, quality).

A company that produces parts or equipment used in another company’s end product.

Creating robot programs using simulation software without needing physical access to the robot, reducing downtime.

A robot capable of moving in any direction without changing orientation, using omniwheels, Mecanum wheels, or swerve drives.

Wheels, such as mecanum and omni, that allow a vehicle to move in any direction without turning.

A wheel with small passive rollers around its circumference, enabling lateral sliding motion when used in multi-wheel configurations.

A platform-independent, service-oriented architecture for industrial communication.

A kinematic structure where links are connected in series without forming closed loops, as in most serial robot arms.

A control system without sensor feedback, where the robot executes commands based solely on the input signal.

An open-source computer vision library widely used in robotics for image processing, feature detection, camera calibration, and object tracking.

Software managing a robot’s hardware resources and providing services for application programs, including ROS, VxWorks, and Linux-based systems.

See Task Space. The space in which the robot’s task is naturally described, typically Cartesian coordinates.

Ongoing costs for running a business, such as maintenance, utilities, and labor.

An encoder using light and a coded disc to measure rotary or linear position, offering high resolution and accuracy.

A motion capture system using infrared cameras and reflective markers for high-precision tracking of robots in indoor environments.

The angular pose of a robot or its end-effector, typically represented using Euler angles, rotation matrices, or quaternions.

An open-source framework for robot control providing real-time components for motion control and sensor interfacing.

A wearable device that supports, aligns, or corrects body movement; powered orthoses are a type of rehabilitation robot.

A robot with more actuators than necessary degrees of freedom, allowing force distribution and redundancy for reliability.

Safety circuits that detect excessive current draw in robot motors and electronics, preventing damage from overload or stall conditions.

The robotic stacking of products or containers onto pallets in a prescribed pattern, a major industrial automation application.

A robot with multiple kinematic chains connecting the base to the end-effector, offering high stiffness, speed, and accuracy, such as Delta and Stewart-Gough platforms.

A geometric curve describing the spatial trajectory of a robot’s end-effector or base, without time information.

Finding a collision-free geometric route from start to goal, such as A*, RRT, PRM, Dijkstra.

The maximum mass a robot can carry at its end-effector while maintaining specified performance, a key industrial robot specification.

The robot’s ability to sense and interpret its environment using cameras, LiDAR, tactile sensors, and other modalities.

A classification of the reliability of safety-related parts of a control system (ISO 13849).

A fundamental robotic operation involving grasping an object from one location and placing it at another.

A robot specialized for rapidly moving objects from one location to another.

The most widely used feedback control algorithm, calculating a control signal based on the error, its integral, and its rate of change: u=Kp?e+Ki??edt+Kd?dtde?.

A precision grasp using fingertips to hold small objects with fine control, as opposed to a power grasp.

Rotation of a robot or end-effector about the lateral (Y) axis, one of three Euler angle components.

The smallest unit of a digital image, representing color or intensity at a specific location; fundamental in robot vision processing.

An industrial digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes.

An actuator powered by compressed air, offering fast, lightweight motion for pick-and-place and simple assembly robots.

A set of data points in 3D space representing the external surfaces of objects, generated by LiDAR, depth cameras, or stereo vision.

An open-source library for 2D/3D point cloud processing.

The combination of a robot’s position (X, Y, Z) and orientation (roll, pitch, yaw) in space, fully describing its location.

A control mode where the robot’s controller drives each joint to a specified position, the most common control mode in industrial robots.

A variable resistor used as a position sensor.

Cobots restrict output to safe thresholds (typically <150 N continuous contact force per ISO/TS 15066) to prevent injury during collisions.

A safety principle where the robot is designed to limit kinetic energy and contact forces.

A grasp using full hand contact for maximum grip strength, suitable for heavy or large objects.

The system of components (motors, gears, drives) that delivers power to the robot’s joints or wheels.

The configuration of a robot hand before contact with an object, planned to match the object’s geometry for effective grasping.

Using data and analytics to predict equipment failure and schedule maintenance proactively.

A joint that provides linear (translational) motion along a single axis, as opposed to a revolute joint.

An approach that uses probability theory to handle uncertainty in perception and action.

The process of managing a product’s lifecycle from inception through design, manufacturing, service, and disposal.

A method where a robot learns tasks by observing a human performing them, eliminating the need for manual programming.

A basic control strategy where the control output is proportional to the error signal, forming the “P” in PID control.

An artificial limb with robotic components that restores or enhances motor function for amputees or individuals with disabilities.

A set of rules governing data exchange between robot components and systems, including TCP/IP, CAN, and ROS messages.

Located closer to the robot’s base; in a robot arm, the proximal end is the shoulder or mounting point.

A sensor that detects the presence of nearby objects without physical contact, using infrared, ultrasonic, or capacitive technology.

A generalized matrix inverse used in redundant robot inverse kinematics to compute joint velocities from desired end-effector velocities.

An open-source Python framework developed by Facebook AI Research for robot learning and control.

A popular programming language in robotics due to its simplicity, extensive libraries (NumPy, SciPy), and integration with ROS.

A deep learning framework used in robotics for training neural networks for perception, control, and policy learning.

A model-free reinforcement learning algorithm used in robotics for learning optimal policies through trial-and-error interaction with the environment.

A matrix barcode used in robotics for object identification, warehouse navigation, and human-robot communication.

A four-legged robot offering dynamic locomotion over rough terrain.

The use of robots and automated inspection systems to verify product dimensions, appearance, and functionality in manufacturing.

An emerging field exploring the application of quantum computing and sensing to robotic perception and planning.

A condition where a robot moves slowly enough that dynamic forces (acceleration, inertia) are negligible compared to static forces.

A four-component mathematical representation of 3D rotation (q=[w,x,y,z]) used extensively in robotics for its singularity-free properties and computational efficiency.

A mathematical concept used in robot motion planning where configurations related by symmetries are treated as equivalent, reducing planning complexity.

A business model where robots are provided via subscription rather than outright purchase.

A sensing technology using radio waves to detect objects, measure distances, and estimate velocities, used in autonomous vehicles and outdoor robots.

The maximum horizontal distance a robot arm can reach from its base, a key specification for workspace design.

A low-cost single-board computer widely used in educational and hobbyist robotics for running control software and interfacing sensors.

The maximum horizontal distance from the center of the robot base to the end of its end-effector.

A robot control architecture that directly maps sensor inputs to motor outputs using simple behavioral rules, enabling fast responses.

An operating system that guarantees deterministic response times, essential for safety-critical robot control.

A modular robot that can change its physical structure by adding, removing, or rearranging modules to adapt to different tasks.

Having more degrees of freedom than required for a primary task, allowing a robot to optimize secondary objectives like obstacle avoidance.

A machine learning paradigm where a robot learns optimal behavior through trial and error, receiving rewards or penalties for its actions.

How precisely a robot can return to a previously taught position (more critical than absolute accuracy for many applications).

The smallest increment of motion or measurement a robot can detect or produce, determined by encoder, sensor, and actuator specifications.

The process of upgrading an existing robot or machine with new sensors, controllers, or capabilities without full replacement.

A joint providing rotational motion about a single axis, the most common joint type in articulated industrial robots.

A camera providing both color (RGB) and depth (D) images per pixel, widely used in robot perception.

An idealized solid object that does not deform under load; the assumption underlying most robot kinematic and dynamic models.

A processor architecture used in embedded robot systems for efficient computation with low power consumption.

The systematic process of identifying hazards, estimating risk, and evaluating risk reduction measures.

An international robotics competition promoting research in AI and robotics through soccer, rescue, and household robot challenges.

A programmable machine capable of carrying out tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously, interacting with the physical world through sensors and actuators.

The study of ethical implications and guidelines for robot design, deployment, and interaction with humans.

An open-source meta-operating system providing a flexible framework for robot software development, including communication, tools, and libraries.

The interdisciplinary field encompassing the design, construction, operation, and application of robots, combining mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and AI.

Rotation of a robot or end-effector about the longitudinal (X) axis, one of three Euler angle components.

Contact between a robot’s wheel or gripper and a surface involving rolling motion without slipping.

A flexible, open-source middleware framework providing hardware abstraction, device drivers, visualization tools, and inter-process communication.

The second generation of ROS, offering improved real-time performance, security, multi-robot support, and embedded system compatibility.

Uneven, unpredictable ground surfaces that challenge robot locomotion, requiring adaptive control and specialized mobility systems.

A communication protocol allowing one robot software module to execute functions in another module, possibly on a different machine.

A sampling-based path planning algorithm efficiently exploring high-dimensional configuration spaces for collision-free robot motion.

A GNSS correction technique providing centimeter-level positioning accuracy for outdoor robots and autonomous vehicles.

An OS designed to process data and events with strict timing constraints.

An uncontrolled motion of a robot joint or axis, potentially caused by sensor failure, software error, or drive malfunction; a safety hazard.

The discipline of ensuring robots operate without causing harm to humans, property, or themselves, governed by standards like ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066.

A certified safety-rated controller that monitors robot operation and enforces safety functions such as speed limits, force limits, and emergency stops.

A measure of the reliability of safety systems (IEC 61508).

A pressure-sensitive floor mat that detects human presence and triggers robot slowdown or stop in a collaborative workspace.

A collaborative function where the robot stops if a human enters a predefined space.

Motion planning algorithms (RRT, PRM) that explore configuration space by randomly sampling configurations and connecting collision-free paths.

Systems for monitoring and controlling industrial processes.

A 4-axis robot with rigid Z-axis and compliant XY-plane motion, optimized for fast horizontal assembly.

A mathematical framework representing rigid body motion as a combination of rotation and translation along a single axis, used in robot kinematics and dynamics.

Collision between different parts of a robot’s own body, which must be avoided through motion planning and joint limit enforcement.

Polymers or composites that autonomously repair mechanical damage, extending robot lifespan in harsh or unstructured environments.

Robots composed of identical modules that can rearrange connections to adapt their shape to different tasks.

The ability of a robot to recover from a flipped or overturned state to its normal operating orientation.

A device that detects and measures physical quantities (position, force, light, temperature) and converts them into signals for robot processing.

The process of combining data from multiple sensors to improve accuracy, reliability, and environmental understanding beyond what a single sensor provides.

A robot with links and joints connected in a single chain from base to end-effector, the most common industrial robot structure.

A robot performing useful tasks for humans or equipment outside industrial automation, such as cleaning, delivery, and surgery.

A closed-loop rotary actuator that precisely controls angular position, velocity, and acceleration using feedback.

The desired target value (position, velocity, force) that a robot’s controller attempts to achieve through feedback control.

A mode where a human and an autonomous system jointly control a robot, each contributing to different aspects of the task.

The outer casing or cover of a robot, providing aesthetic appearance, protection, and sometimes human-friendly surfaces for social robots.

The joint connecting a robot arm’s first link to its base, providing major vertical and rotational motion.

Techniques (domain randomization, dynamics adaptation, system identification) that bridge the reality gap between simulation-trained policies and physical deployment.

The virtual modeling and testing of a robot’s behavior, physics, and algorithms before real-world deployment, using tools like Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or Webots.

A robot configuration where the Jacobian matrix loses rank, causing a loss of one or more degrees of freedom and potentially infinite joint velocities.

An articulated robot with six revolute joints, providing full positional and orientational control of the end-effector in 3D space.

The structural framework of links and joints defining a robot’s kinematic structure.

Algorithms enabling a robot to build a map of an unknown environment while simultaneously tracking its position within that map.

A highly digitized and connected manufacturing facility using IoT, AI, and robots to self-optimize production processes.

A hyper-redundant robot with many sequential joints, enabling serpentine locomotion through confined spaces, pipes, and rubble.

A robot designed to interact with humans in a socially intelligent manner, using speech, gestures, facial expressions, and emotional recognition.

Robots designed to interact with humans in social contexts.

A compliant end-effector made from flexible materials that conforms to object shapes, ideal for grasping delicate or irregularly shaped items.

Constructed from compliant materials (silicone, elastomers, or fluids) enabling safe interaction, adaptive grasping, and biomimetic locomotion.

(See under Robot Types) The use of flexible materials and structures for inherently safe robots.

The high-level structure of robot software, defining components, their responsibilities, and communication patterns, such as layered, event-driven, and component-based.

An electromagnetic actuator producing linear motion, used in simple robotic mechanisms like latches, valves, and quick-release devices.

Robots designed for operation in space.

Relating to both space and time; used in robot trajectory planning and prediction of moving objects.

A communication paradigm for controlling multiple servo motors in robots with coordinated timing.

A collaborative mode where the robot reduces speed as a human approaches.

A control feature allowing the operator to scale the speed of robot motion (typically as a percentage) for safety or testing purposes.

A joint allowing rotation about three perpendicular axes, providing three rotational DOF; used in parallel robots and end-effectors.

A flexible or articulated central structure in some robot designs that provides bending and twisting, inspired by biological spines.

Boston Dynamics’ commercial quadruped robot designed for industrial inspection, data collection, and remote operation in complex environments.

A rapid body orientation change in legged robots, enabling quick transitions between different gaits or postures.

A robot’s ability to maintain balance and avoid falling, critical for legged robots, mobile platforms, and high-speed operation.

The capability of a robot to ascend and descend stairs, requiring advanced locomotion control and terrain adaptation.

The development and application of uniform technical standards (ISO, IEC, IEEE) for robot safety, performance, and interoperability.

Inferring hidden or noisy system states (position, velocity, orientation) from sensor measurements.

See Finite State Machine (FSM).

The persistent difference between a robot’s actual and desired position after transient responses have settled, addressed by integral control.

A brushless DC motor that divides a full rotation into a number of equal steps, allowing precise position control without feedback.

A depth-sensing technique using two cameras separated by a known baseline, computing depth from the disparity between left and right images.

A six-DOF parallel robot with six linear actuators connecting a base to a platform, used in flight simulators and precision positioning.

An oscillatory motion caused by the transition between static and dynamic friction, a common issue in precision robot positioning.

The resistance of a robot structure or joint to deformation under applied force; high stiffness improves positioning accuracy.

Involving randomness or probability; used in robot planning, estimation, and learning algorithms dealing with uncertain environments.

A sensor that measures mechanical deformation (strain) by detecting changes in electrical resistance, used in robot force/torque sensing.

A behavior-based robot control architecture developed by Rodney Brooks, organizing behaviors in layers of increasing complexity.

A vacuum-based end-effector that grips flat or smooth objects by creating a partial vacuum between the cup and the object surface.

A control mode where a human sets high-level goals and the robot autonomously executes the detailed motions to achieve them.

A robot designed to assist surgeons in performing minimally invasive procedures with enhanced precision, dexterity, and visualization.

The design and operation of robots to minimize environmental impact, including energy efficiency, recyclable materials, and reduced waste.

The collective behavior of decentralized systems, inspired by social insects, applied to multi-robot coordination.

A large number of simple, decentralized robots that achieve complex collective behavior through local interactions and emergent intelligence.

A field studying the coordination of large numbers of simple robots that collectively perform complex tasks through local interactions and emergent behavior.

A mobile robot drivetrain where each wheel can independently steer and drive, providing full omnidirectional mobility.

A rotary transformer used for angular position measurement in older robotic and aerospace systems.

A company that combines hardware, software, and subsystems into a complete robotic solution.

Measures parameters related to contact (pressure, vibration, texture), giving robots a sense of “touch.”

The rate at which a finished product needs to be completed to meet customer demand.

A desired position, object, or state that a robot aims to reach, detect, or achieve during its operation.

High-level reasoning about the sequence and conditions of actions a robot must perform to achieve a goal, involving symbolic AI methods.

The coordinate system in which a robot’s task is naturally described (typically 3D Cartesian position and orientation), also called operational space.

A defined point at the tip of a robot’s end-effector used as the reference for all position and orientation commands.

The set of communication protocols used for the internet and most networks.

A programming mode where the operator physically moves the robot through desired positions, recording them for later playback.

A handheld device used to manually program, jog, and control a robot, featuring buttons, joysticks, and a display screen.

Remote control of a robot by a human operator, often used in hazardous environments, surgery, and space exploration.

Technologies that give a user the feeling of being present at a remote location via a robot or interface.

The field of controlling robots at a distance, addressing challenges of communication delays, force feedback, and situational awareness.

An open-source machine learning framework used in robotics for deploying deep learning models on embedded systems and GPUs.

Algorithms that identify ground surface types (grass, gravel, mud, stairs) to adapt a robot’s locomotion strategy.

A sensor detecting infrared radiation to create images based on temperature differences, used in robot inspection and night navigation.

A set of ethical rules proposed by Isaac Asimov: 1.) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2.) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3.) A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

A depth-sensing technology measuring the time for light or sound to travel to an object and return, computing distance from d=2c?t?.

The linear velocity of a robot’s end-effector, a key performance specification for industrial robots.

A lightweight, high-strength metal used in robot structures where weight reduction and durability are critical.

The precise point in space defined as the center of the end effector for programming and control.

A device that allows a robot to automatically switch between different end-effectors during operation, increasing versatility.

A coordinate system attached to the robot’s end-effector or TCP, used for specifying motions relative to the tool.

A graph-based map representation where locations are nodes and connections are edges, efficient for large-scale robot navigation.

A rotational force applied to a joint, produced by motors and measured by torque sensors, critical in robot dynamics and control.

A sensor measuring the twisting force at a robot joint or end-effector, enabling force control and collision detection.

A mobile robot using continuous tracks (like a tank) for locomotion, providing high traction on soft, rough, or steep terrain.

A time-parameterized path specifying positions, velocities, and accelerations for smooth, efficient, and safe robot motion.

The computation of smooth, feasible time-parameterized motion profiles connecting waypoints while respecting velocity, acceleration, and jerk limits.

Generating time-parameterized paths that respect kinematic, dynamic, and obstacle constraints.

A device that converts one form of energy into another, typically from physical to electrical.

A machine learning technique where knowledge gained from one robot task or environment is applied to accelerate learning in a new context.

A matrix representing the rotation and translation between two coordinate frames, fundamental in robot kinematics (T?SE(3)).

A positioning technique using distances from three or more known reference points to compute a robot’s location.

The adjustment of control parameters (PID gains, filter coefficients) to optimize robot performance in terms of speed, accuracy, and stability.

A popular low-cost mobile robot platform for education and research in ROS-based robotics.

A six-dimensional vector combining linear and angular velocity (v=[vx?,vy?,vz?,?x?,?y?,?z?]) describing rigid body motion.

A simple parallel-jaw gripper widely used in industrial automation for picking and placing parts.

An aircraft without a human pilot onboard, controlled autonomously or remotely; see Drone.

The UL standard for safety of industrial robots and robotic systems.

A distance-measuring sensor using sound waves above human hearing range (~40 kHz), inexpensive and widely used in obstacle detection.

A robot with fewer actuators than degrees of freedom, relying on passive dynamics or environmental forces for some motions.

Includes AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, untethered) and ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle, tethered) for marine exploration and infrastructure maintenance.

An XML file format used in ROS to describe a robot’s physical structure, joints, links, visuals, and collision properties.

The company that produced the PUMA (Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly) robot, one of the first widely used industrial robots.

A quaternion with magnitude 1, used in robotics to represent pure rotations without singularities.

A mechanical joint allowing rotation about two axes, transmitting motion between non-collinear shafts.

A land-based robot operating without an onboard human driver, used in military, mining, agriculture, and logistics.

Any robot or vehicle operating without direct human presence, including UAVs, UGVs, USVs, and UUVs.

A nonlinear state estimation method using sigma points for more accurate estimation than the EKF in highly nonlinear robot systems.

The percentage of time a robot is operational and available for production.

The ability of newer robot software or hardware to work with systems designed for previous versions.

See Unified Robot Description Format.

The ease with which operators can learn, program, and maintain a robot system, a key factor in adoption and productivity.

The visual and interactive means through which a human communicates with a robot, including teach pendants, dashboards, and voice interfaces.

An autonomous or remote-controlled watercraft used for maritime surveying, environmental monitoring, and defense.

A radio technology providing centimeter-accurate indoor positioning for robots using time-of-arrival measurements.

A versatile robot simulation platform supporting multiple physics engines, scripting, and interfaces for research and education.

A lean tool to visualize the flow of materials and information needed to bring a product to the customer.

A control mode where the robot’s controller commands joint or end-effector velocities rather than positions, used in conveyor tracking and compliant tasks.

A time-based graph of a robot’s speed during motion, planned to optimize between trapezoidal, S-curve, or other profiles for smoothness.

The study of oscillatory motions in robot structures and joints, used for health monitoring, fault detection, and design optimization.

The testing and validation of robot systems in a simulated environment before physical installation, reducing risk and cost.

An immersive technology used in robot teleoperation, training, and simulation to provide operators with a virtual representation of the robot’s environment.

An integrated setup of cameras, lighting, processing hardware, and software enabling a robot to perceive and interpret visual information.

The use of camera-based feedback to direct robot motion, enabling adaptive grasping, inspection, and navigation.

A next-generation architecture that fuses visual perception, natural language reasoning, and motor control into a single foundation model for generalist robots.

A robot control technique using real-time camera feedback to guide the end-effector to a target, classified as position-based (PBVS) or image-based (IBVS).

SLAM algorithms that use camera images (monocular, stereo, or RGB-D) as the primary sensor for mapping and localization.

An actuator that can actively change its stiffness, enabling robots to switch between rigid positioning and compliant interaction.

A legged robot that uses coordinated gait patterns to locomote, including bipeds, quadrupeds, hexapods, and multi-legged designs.

An autonomous mobile robot used in warehouses for inventory management, order picking, sorting, and transportation of goods.

Image distortion correction applied in robot vision to remove lens distortion and perspective effects for accurate measurement.

An intermediate position or pose along a robot’s planned path that the robot must pass through on the way to its goal.

A robotic device worn on the human body, including powered exoskeletons, prosthesis, and orthoses for augmentation or rehabilitation.

An open-source robot simulation platform used for education, research, and prototyping, supporting a wide variety of robot models.

An industrial robot programmed to perform arc welding, spot welding, laser welding, or other joining processes with precision and consistency.

A mobile robot using wheels for locomotion, the most common type due to simplicity, efficiency, and speed on flat surfaces.

An assembly of wires and connectors that distributes power and signals throughout the robot.

The physical area encompassing the robot, work-piece, fixtures, and any interacting equipment.

The total volume of space that a robot can reach with its end-effector, determined by its mechanical structure and joint limits.

The volume of space a robot’s end-effector can reach.

The global reference coordinate system in which all robot positions and orientations are ultimately defined.

The distal section of a robot arm, typically providing three rotational axes (roll, pitch, yaw) for orienting the end-effector.

A six-axis force/torque sensor mounted at the robot’s wrist to measure interaction forces during manipulation and contact tasks.

The combination of sensor data acquisition and actuator command execution in a single control loop iteration.

An XML macro language used in ROS to simplify and modularize URDF robot description files with parameterization and reuse.

A common gamepad used as a low-cost input device for teleoperating mobile robots and research platforms.

A text format used in robotics for configuration files, robot descriptions (URDF), and inter-process communication.

A classic nonlinear classification problem used to demonstrate the limitations of linear classifiers and the need for multi-layer neural networks in robot learning.

A human-readable data serialization format widely used in ROS and robotics for configuration files, parameter servers, and launch files.

An open-source middleware framework for robot software development, providing communication, device drivers, and module management.

Rotation of a robot or end-effector about the vertical (Z) axis, one of three Euler angle components; critical for heading control in mobile robots.

A mathematical transform used in discrete-time control system analysis and design for digital robot controllers.

A point on the ground where the net moment of gravitational and inertial forces has no horizontal component; a key stability criterion for walking robots.

The robot configuration where all joint angles are zero, defined by the kinematic model convention (often fully extended).

A low-power, low-data-rate wireless protocol used in sensor networks and swarm robotics for inter-robot communication.

A defined spatial region around a robot with specific safety rules, such as reduced speed, warning, or stop zones, monitored by sensors.

The use of area scanners, light curtains, or vision systems to detect intrusion into predefined safety zones around a robot.