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GLOSSARY

A
ACCELEROMETER: A sensor that measures acceleration forces, typically used to figure out which way your robot is
going. Won’t tell your robot which way is correct, though.
ACTUATOR: An electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic device that makes a robot move. Examples include a simple motor
that makes a wheel turn; a cylinder with a shaft inside that creates motion in a straight line; and a combination of
motors and gears that make a robot leg kick. See also “Compliant” and “Servo.”
ALGORITHM: A step-by-step procedure to calculate something, process some data, or make a decision. Implemented
as code running on the robot’s control system.

ANDROID: A robot designed to look and act like a human. Generally, an android has a flesh-like appearance, as
opposed to a metal or plastic body of humanoid robots. Think Lieutenant Commander Data versus Honda Asimo. See
also “Uncanny Valley.”
ANIMATRONIC: A robotic system designed to mimic something living. Usually refers to something non-anthropomorphic.
Usually is a dinosaur.

ANTHROPOMORPHISM: The tendency of people to attribute human characteristics to things that aren’t human. If you
look at the stereo cameras on a robot and think that’s where its face is, that’s anthropomorphizing.

ARDUINO: A low-cost microcontroller board, popular with hobbyists. Can serve as the brain of a robot that you build
yourself from scratch.

AI: Artificial intelligence. The art and science of making machines smart. The holy grail of AI is achieving a level of
reasoning, learning, and knowledge comparable to that of a human. In practice, the most notable AI systems are
specialized tools and a computer program that pretends to be a psychotherapist.

AUTOMATON: A machine that operates by itself, generally differentiated from a robot in that an automaton doesn’t
necessarily include any form of intelligence, but simply carries out a predefined mechanical action.
AUV: Autonomous underwater vehicle. Typically looks like a torpedo and is used for science and exploration. Designation
can also include ROVs, or remotely operated underwater vehicles, which don’t look like torpedoes but rather resemble
a car engine with stubby arms.
B

BACKDRIVABLE: A motor or actuator that can be moved by an external force when it’s operational. If you push on a
robot arm that is backdrivable, it will sense the forces and move in the direction you’re pushing. See also “Compliant.”
BACKLASH: Gearing systems are never perfect, and backlash refers to the amount of slop or play that you get due
to the gear teeth not intermeshing perfectly. Sometimes backlash is desirable (to allow lubricants to circulate), and
sometimes it’s not (if it causes vibrations). Most times it’s inevitable.
BIOROBOTICS: Robots that incorporate features or behaviors found in biological organisms. Also known as bio-inspired
or biomimetic robots.
BMI: A brain-machine interface, also called a brain-computer interface, uses either invasive or noninvasive sensors to
enable humans to directly control robotic prostheses and other systems using brain activity alone.

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