Robotics vocabulary

End effector

the device (i.e. tool or gripper) fitted to the end of a robot arm or extremity.

Accuracy

the measurement of the deviation between the command characteristic and the attained characteristic, or the precision with which a computed or calculated robot position can be attained. IT is normally worse than the arm's repeatability. IT is not constant over the workspace, due to the effect of link kinematics.

Sensor (for robot)

A device that detects or measures a physical quantity (usually in the vicinity of the robot) and converts it to an electric signal for the robot to use in some way.

Actuator

A general term for a mechanical device or motor used for moving or controlling something on a robot. It is used to effect motion, or maintain position of the robot (for example, a motor which converts electrical energy to effect motion of the robot). It responds to a signal received from the control system. Thus actuation means making the robot move, or literally, to act.

Rotary Joint

A joint which twists, swings or bends about an axis.

Feedback Sensor

A mechanism through which information from sensing devices is fed back to the robot's control unit. This information is then used to direct the robot's motion.

Gripper

An end effector that clasps, picks up, or holds objects by forcing together its fingers or prongs. It is attached to the last link of the arm.

Controller

An information processing device whose inputs are both the desired and measured position, velocity or other pertinent variables in a process and whose outputs are drive signals to controlling motors or actuators in order to carry out specific tasks that are set. (R15.02)

Control Device

Any piece of control hardware providing a means for human intervention in the control of a robot or robot system, such as an emergency-stop button, a start button, or a selector switch. (R15.06)

Extended Arduino Definition

Arduino is an open-source prototyping platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an LED, publishing something online. You can tell your board what to do by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board. To do so you use the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring), and the Arduino Software (IDE), based on Processing. Arduino was born at the Ivrea Interaction Design Institute as an easy tool for fast prototyping, aimed at students without a background in electronics and programming. As soon as it reached a wider community, the Arduino board started changing to adapt to new needs and challenges, differentiating its offer from simple 8-bit boards to products for IoT applications, wearable, 3D printing, and embedded environments. All Arduino boards are completely open-source, empowering users to build them independently and eventually adapt them to their particular needs.

Servo Motor

"An electrical power mechanism used to effect motion, or maintains position of the robot (for example, a motor which converts electrical energy to effect motion of the robot) (R15.07). The motor responds to a signal received from the control system and often incorporates an encoder to provide feedback to the control loop."

Robot

1. An artificial device that has sensors to gain information of its environment, a processing unit (usually programmable) that decides what the device should do, and methods of motion (wheels, legs, or arms) that manipulate the environment in order to do useful work. A robot is usually made of metal and plastic, and requires a power source of some kind. 2. An artificial device, usually of humanoid appearance, that has human-like intelligence and capabilities (not in existence today, but often found in science fiction films and books).

Proximity Sensor

A non-contact sensing device used to sense when objects are a short distance away, and determine the distance of the object. Several types include: radio frequency, magnetic bridge, ultrasonic, and photoelectric. Commonly used for: high speed counting, sensing metal objects, level control, reading coding marks, and limit switches.

Material Processing Robot

A robot designed and programmed so that it can machine, cut, form, or change the shape, function or properties of materials it handles between the time the materials are first grasped and the time they are released in a manufacturing process.

Tele-presence robot

A robot whose primary function is to give its human user, who is remotely controlling the robot (tele-operating it), some sense of being present at the robot's location is known as a tele-presence or tele-operated robot. It is usually programmed for some basic functions that the human operator directs, so that he/she doesn't have to think about controlling every motor "twitch".

Code

A series of typed instructions that a computer or robot understands to perform a programmed task.

Hold/Stop

A stopping of all movements of a robot during its sequence, added into the robot's code. This addition to the code causes the robot to stop, yet the robot may still have its power on. For example, the program causes the robot to stop, however power to the servomotors remain on if the operator chooses to restart the robot. Input Devices - A variety of devices, which allow a human to machine interface. This allows the human to program, control, and simulate the robot. Such devices include programming pendant, computer keyboards, a mouse, joy-sticks, push buttons, operator panel, operator pedestal etc.

Automation

A system uses programmable equipment for production. The equipment is capable of being altered and controlled by the program depending on the product.

Programmer

One who writes computer or robot controller code.

Module

Self-contained component of a package. This component may contain sub-components known as sub-modules.

Control System

The devices, usually electronics and software which control a machine so that it achieves its required functionality.

Motion Axis

The line defining the axis of motion for either a linear or rotary segment of a manipulator.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The main circuit board and processor of the Controller System.

Rubber Ducky Coding

The process of a programmer explaining his code line by line to an inanimate object, such as a rubber duck, in the hopes of the programmer finding his or her own errors in the code.

Coding

The process of writing code. There are computer languages for coding such as C, Arduino, C++, etc.

Modularity

The property of flexibility built into a robot and control system by assembling separate units, which can be easily joined to or arranged with other parts or units.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The science and engineering of intelligent machines, including computers. Robotics is sometimes viewed as a branch of AI concerned with physically embodied AI.

Dynamics

The study of motion, the forces that cause the motion, and the forces due to motion. The dynamics of a robot arm are very complicated as they result from the kinematic behavior of all masses within the arm's structure. The robot arm kinematics are complicated in themselves.

Resistor

a device having a designed resistance to the passage of an electric current. Robotics - The study, use, and development of one or more robots.

Transistor

a semiconductor device with three connections, capable of amplification in addition to rectification.

Infra-red Sensor

a short-range sensor that uses reflected infra-red (IR) light to measure the distance between the sensor and an object.

Various Types of Robotic Sensors Contact Sensor

a type of sensor used to detect action between a part of a robot such as a tactile whisker and external objects such as a wall

Baud

a unit of measurement that quantifies the number of times a signal changes its state every second; one baud is equal to one bit per second. It is the rate in bits per second for serial data transmission. The default baud for Arduino is 9600 bits per second and is used to print words or characters to the serial monitor, which is often used to test programs or for user feedback.

Arduino

an open-source computer hardware from a software company that makes small computers for building digital devices and interactive robots that can sense and control objects in the physical world. Popular in robot hobbyist circles for its afford-ability and flexibility.