Robotics Jargon Buster: Interactive Glossary

An actuator is a component of a machine that is responsible for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. In robotics, actuators are what make your robot move! They convert energy (often electrical, but can be hydraulic or pneumatic) into mechanical force or motion. Think of them as the muscles of your robot.

Common types of actuators in robotics include:

• Motors: DC motors, stepper motors, and servo motors are all types of actuators. They provide rotational or linear motion.
• Pneumatic Cylinders: Use compressed air to create linear motion.
• Hydraulic Cylinders: Use pressurized fluid for powerful linear motion, often in heavy industrial robots.

A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. Its job is to gather information about the robot's surroundings or its own internal state, converting physical phenomena into electrical signals that the robot's brain (microcontroller) can understand. Sensors are the 'eyes and ears' of your robot.

Examples of common robotics sensors:

• Ultrasonic Sensors: Measure distance using sound waves, great for obstacle detection.
• Infrared (IR) Sensors: Detect presence or absence of objects, or measure distance using infrared light.
• Touch/Bump Sensors: Simple switches that detect physical contact.
• Gyroscopes & Accelerometers: Measure orientation, angular velocity, and acceleration, crucial for balancing and navigation.

To learn more about specific types of sensors, check out our Which Sensor Do I Need? A Quick Comparison guide.

A microcontroller is a small, low-cost computer on a single integrated circuit. It contains a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Essentially, it's the 'brain' of your robot, responsible for executing the code you write to control its actions, read sensor data, and communicate with other components.

Popular microcontrollers for robotics include Arduino boards (like the Uno or Nano) and ESP32 boards. They are ideal for tasks that require real-time control and don't need the full power of a desktop computer.

Curious about choosing the right brain for your robot? Explore our guide on Choosing the Right Brain: Microcontrollers & SBCs.

A Single Board Computer (SBC) is a complete computer built on a single circuit board, with a microprocessor, memory, input/output (I/O), and other features required of a functional computer. Unlike microcontrollers, SBCs typically run a full operating system (like Linux) and are capable of more complex tasks, such as image processing, AI, and networking.

The Raspberry Pi is the most famous example of an SBC used extensively in robotics for projects requiring more computational power, connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), and the ability to run higher-level programming languages and frameworks.

Understand the key differences and when to choose each in our Microcontroller vs. Single Board Computer: Which is Best? comparison.

Firmware is a specific class of computer software that provides low-level control for a device's specific hardware. It's often stored in non-volatile memory (like flash memory) on a microcontroller or other embedded system. Think of it as the foundational operating instructions that tell the hardware how to function and interact with other components.

For your robot, the firmware is the code that runs directly on the microcontroller, managing tasks like reading sensor inputs, controlling motor outputs, and handling communication protocols. It's distinct from application software, which runs on top of an operating system (like on an SBC).

In robotics, Degrees of Freedom (DoF) refers to the number of independent parameters that define the configuration or state of a robotic system. Essentially, it's the number of ways a robot can move or rotate in space. Each joint or axis that can move independently adds a degree of freedom.

For example, a simple wheeled robot moving on a flat surface might have 3 DoF (X position, Y position, and rotation about the Z-axis). A robotic arm with multiple joints will have a DoF equal to the sum of its independently controllable joints, allowing it to reach and manipulate objects in complex ways.

An end effector is the device at the end of a robotic arm, designed to interact with the environment. It's the part of the robot that performs the actual task. The choice of end effector depends entirely on the robot's purpose.

Common examples include:

• Grippers: For grasping and manipulating objects.
• Welding Torches: For industrial welding robots.
• Paint Sprayers: For automotive painting robots.
• Drills or Screwdrivers: For assembly tasks.

Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is a technique used to control the average power delivered to an electrical device by varying the width of a pulse. Instead of providing a constant voltage, PWM rapidly switches the voltage between on and off states. The 'duty cycle' refers to the percentage of time the signal is 'on' during a period.

In robotics, PWM is crucial for:

• Motor Speed Control: By varying the duty cycle, you can effectively control the average voltage supplied to a DC motor, thus controlling its speed.
• Servo Motor Positioning: Servo motors use PWM signals to determine their angular position.
• LED Brightness: Adjusting the PWM duty cycle can dim or brighten LEDs.

Kinematics in robotics is the study of motion without considering the forces that cause the motion. It focuses on the geometric relationships between the parts of a robot and how their movement affects the robot's overall position and orientation.

There are two main types:

• Forward Kinematics: Calculates the position and orientation of the end effector given the joint angles of the robot arm.
• Inverse Kinematics: Calculates the required joint angles to achieve a desired position and orientation of the end effector. This is often more complex but essential for making a robot perform specific tasks, like picking up an object at a certain point in space.

Telemetry refers to the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment for monitoring. In robotics, telemetry is vital for understanding what your robot is doing, where it is, and how it's performing without direct physical access.

This can include transmitting data like:

• Sensor readings (distance, temperature, light levels)
• Motor speeds and current draw
• Battery voltage and remaining charge
• GPS coordinates or internal localization data

Telemetry allows for remote diagnostics, performance optimization, and ensures your robot is operating safely and efficiently.

The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a flexible framework for writing robot software. It's not an operating system in the traditional sense, but rather a collection of tools, libraries, and conventions that aim to simplify the task of creating complex and robust robot behaviors across a wide variety of robotic platforms.

ROS provides services like hardware abstraction, device drivers, libraries, visualizers, message-passing, and package management. It's widely used in research and industry to develop everything from mobile robots to robotic arms, enabling modular and reusable code.

Dive deeper into how software brings robots to life with our guide on Coding Your Robot: From Basics to Advanced Control.