Robotics

Terms related to robotics, including definitions about consumer or manufacturing robots and words and phrases about stepper motor systems, XY positioning tables, automation and artificial intelligence.

artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) - Artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) is the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and the internet of things (IoT) infrastructure.
biotechnology (biotech) - Biotechnology is the use of biology to develop new products, methods and organisms intended to improve human health and society.
Blue Origin - Blue Origin is a private spaceflight company based in Kent, Wash.
bot - A bot -- short for robot and also called an internet bot -- is a computer program that operates as an agent for a user or other program or to simulate a human activity.
bottleneck - A bottleneck, in a communications context, is a point in the enterprise where the flow of data is impaired or stopped entirely.
chatbot - A chatbot is a software or computer program that simulates human conversation or "chatter" through text or voice interactions.
closed loop control system - A closed loop control system is a mechanical or electronic device that automatically regulates a system to maintain a desired state or set point without human interaction.
cognitive computing - Cognitive computing is the use of computerized models to simulate the human thought process in complex situations where the answers might be ambiguous and uncertain.
collaborative robot (cobot) - A collaborative robot, also known as a cobot, is an industrial robot that can safely operate alongside humans in a shared workspace.
conservation of angular momentum - Conservation of angular momentum is a physical property of a spinning system such that its spin remains constant unless it is acted upon by an external torque; put another way, the speed of rotation is constant as long as net torque is zero.
deep tech - Deep technology, or deep tech, refers to advanced technologies based on some form of substantial scientific or engineering innovation.
degrees of freedom (mechanics) - In mechanics, degrees of freedom (DOF) is the number of independent variables that define the possible positions or motions of a mechanical system in space.
delivery drone - A delivery drone is a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for distributing packages to consumers through advanced AI technology.
distributed control system (DCS) - A distributed control system (DCS) is a digital automated industrial control system (ICS) that uses geographically distributed control loops throughout a factory, machine or control area.
driver assistance - Driver assistance, also known as advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), are technologies used to make motor vehicle travel safer by automating, improving or adapting some or all of the tasks involved in operating a vehicle.
drone photography - Drone photography is the capture of still images and video by a remotely-operated or autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), also known as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or, more commonly, as a drone.
drone services (UAV services) - Drone services, also known as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) services, is the emerging market for services built around flying robots that can be remote-controlled or flown autonomously using software-controlled flight plans in their embedded systems.
end effector - In robotics, an end effector is a device or tool that's connected to the end of a robot arm where the hand would be.
Fourth Industrial Revolution - The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way modern people live and work.
haptics - Haptics is the science of applying a sense of touch and control to interaction with computer applications.
hydraulics - Hydraulics is a mechanical function that operates through the force of liquid pressure.
kinematics - Kinematics is the study of the motion of mechanical points, bodies and systems without consideration of their associated physical properties and the forces acting on them.
knowledge engineering - Knowledge engineering is a field of artificial intelligence (AI) that tries to emulate the judgment and behavior of a human expert in a given field.
MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) - A MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) is a miniature machine that has both mechanical and electronic components.
mobile robot (mobile robotics) - A mobile robot is a machine controlled by software that use sensors and other technology to identify its surroundings and move around its environment.
moonshot - In technology, a moonshot is an ambitious, exploratory and groundbreaking project undertaken without the assurance of near-term profitability or benefit and, perhaps, without a full investigation of potential risks and benefits.
nanosecond (ns or nsec) - A nanosecond (ns or nsec) is one-billionth (10-9) of a second.
neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) - A neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) is a type of battery-electric vehicle that is capable of traveling at a maximum speed of 25 mph and which has a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lbs.
object recognition - Object recognition is at the convergence points of robotics, machine vision, neural networks and AI.
Plutchik's wheel of emotions - Plutchik's wheel of emotions is a model of human emotions that uses overlaying colors to portray combinations of affect.
quantum theory - Quantum theory is the theoretical basis of modern physics that explains the nature and behavior of matter and energy on the atomic and subatomic level.
resonance charging - Resonance charging is a wireless charging method for items that require large amounts of power, such as an electric car, robot, vacuum cleaner or laptop computer.
robo-advisor - A robo-advisor is a virtual financial advisor powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that employs an algorithm to deliver an automated selection of financial advisory services.
robot - A robot is a machine designed to execute one or more tasks automatically with speed and precision.
robot economy - The robot economy is a scenario in which most of the labor required to sustain human life is automated.
robotic surgery (robot-assisted surgery) - Robotic surgery is the use of computer technologies working in conjunction with robot systems to perform medical procedures.
self-driving car (autonomous car or driverless car) - A self-driving car -- sometimes called an autonomous car or driverless car -- is a vehicle that uses a combination of sensors, cameras, radar and artificial intelligence (AI) to travel between destinations without a human operator.
sensor - A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment.
smart machines - A smart machine is a device embedded with machine-to-machine and/or cognitive computing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) or deep learning, all of which it uses to reason, solve problems, make decisions and even take action.
social robot - A social robot is an artificial intelligence (AI) system that is designed to interact with humans and other robots.
SpaceX - SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) is a space transportation and aerospace manufacturer founded in 2002 by Elon Musk.
spambot - A spambot is an automated system that sends unwanted, unsolicited messages to users, known as spam.
superposition - Superposition is the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time until it is measured.
telepresence robot - A telepresence robot is a robotic device that enables a user to maintain a virtual presence in a remote location.
uncanny valley - The uncanny valley is a common unsettling feeling people experience when androids or humanoid robots and audio/visual simulations closely resemble humans in many respects but aren't quite convincingly realistic.
universal basic income (UBI) - Universal basic income (UBI) is a model for providing all citizens of a country or other geographic area with a given sum of money, regardless of their income, resources or employment status.
vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft - A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft is a vehicle that can depart, hover and land vertically.
virtual assistant (AI assistant) - A virtual assistant, also called an AI assistant or digital assistant, is an application program that understands natural language voice commands and completes tasks for the user.
VR locomotion (virtual reality locomotion) - VR locomotion is technology that enables movement from one place to another (locomotion) within a virtual reality environment.
What is a drone (UAV)? - A drone is an unmanned aircraft.
What is AI? Artificial Intelligence explained - Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.
What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)? - Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is the representation of generalized human cognitive abilities in software so that, faced with an unfamiliar task, the AI system could find a solution.
What is digital labor? - Digital labor is work that's performed by robotic process automation (RPA) systems and interactive applications, including chatbots and digital assistants.
What is machine learning? Guide, definition and examples - Machine learning is a branch of AI focused on building computer systems that learn from data.
What is machine vision? - Machine vision is the ability of a computer to see; it employs one or more video cameras, analog-to-digital conversion and digital signal processing.
What is narrow AI (weak AI)? - Narrow AI is an application of artificial intelligence technologies to enable a high-functioning system that replicates -- and perhaps surpasses -- human intelligence for a dedicated purpose.
What is natural language understanding (NLU)? - Natural language understanding (NLU) is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses computer software to understand input in the form of sentences using text or speech.
What is Robotics? - Robotics is a branch of engineering that involves the conception, design, manufacture and operation of robots.
What is singularity in technology and AI? - In technology, the singularity describes a hypothetical future where technology growth is out of control and irreversible.
What is supervised learning? - Supervised learning is a subcategory of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) where a computer algorithm is trained on input data that has been labeled for a particular output.
What is the Turing Test? - A Turing Test is a method of inquiry in artificial intelligence (AI) for determining whether or not a computer is capable of thinking like a human being.
What is unsupervised learning? - Unsupervised learning is a type of machine learning (ML) technique that uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to identify patterns in data sets that are neither classified nor labeled.
workflow automation - Workflow automation is an approach to making the flow of tasks, documents and information across work-related activities perform independently in accordance with defined business rules.