Robotics glossary: • Robotics is the branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behavior, and/or cognition. • Mechanics is an area of science concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment. • Electronics deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive electrical components and interconnection technologies. • Informatics is the science of computer information systems. As an academic field it involves the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. It studies the structure, algorithms, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial systems which store, process, access, and communicate information. The field considers the interaction between humans and information systems alongside the construction of computer interfaces. • Automation or automatic control, is the use of various control systems for operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories, boilers and heat treating ovens, switching in telephone networks, steering and stabilization of ships, aircraft and other applications with minimal or reduced human intervention. Some processes have been completely automated. The biggest benefit of automation is that it saves labor, however, it is also used to save energy and materials and to improve quality, accuracy and precision. • Electromechanics in engineering combines electrical and mechanical processes and procedures drawn from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Electrical engineering in this context also encompasses electronics engineering. Devices which carry out electrical operations by using moving parts are known as electromechanical. Strictly speaking, a manually operated switch is an electromechanical component, but the term is usually understood to refer to devices such as relays, which allow a voltage or current to control other, isolated voltages and currents by mechanically switching sets of contacts, solenoids, by which a voltage can actuate a moving linkage, vibrators, which convert DC to AC with vibrating sets of contacts, etc. • A machine is a tool containing one or more parts that uses energy to perform an intended action. Machines are usually powered by mechanical, chemical, thermal, or electrical means, and are often motorized. Historically, a power tool also required moving parts to classify as a machine. However, the advent of electronics has led to the development of power tools without moving parts that are considered machines. • A structure in engineering is a body or assemblage of bodies in space to form a system capable of supporting loads. Physical structures include man-made and natural arrangements. Buildings, aircraft, soap films, skeletons, anthills, beaver dams and salt domes are all examples of physical structures. The effects of loads on physical structures are determined through structural analysis. Structural engineering refers to engineering of physical structures. • A link is one element or piece of a chain typically made of metal. A chain may consist of two or more links connected in series. • A joint or articulation (or articulate surface) is the location at which bones connect.[1][2] They are constructed to allow movement (except for skull, sacral, sternal, and pelvic bones) and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally • A sensor is a transducer whose purpose is to sense (that is, to detect) some characteristic of its environs. It detects events or changes in quantities and provides a corresponding output, generally as an electrical or optical signal; for example, a thermocouple converts temperature to an output voltage. But a mercury-in-glass thermometer is also a sensor; it converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated glass tube. • An actuator is a type of motor that is responsible for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. It is operated by a source of energy, typically electric current, hydraulic fluid pressure, or pneumatic pressure, and converts that energy into motion. An actuator is the mechanism by which a control system acts upon an environment. • An engine, which is very commonly called "motor", is a machine designed to convert one form of energy into mechanical energy. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines (such as steam engines) burn a fuel to create heat, which then creates a force. Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical motion, pneumatic motors use compressed air and others use elastic energy. • A motor is a device that creates motion. It usually refers to an engine of some kind. ◦ Electric motor, a machine that converts electricity into a mechanical motion. ◦ AC motor, an electric motor that is driven by alternating current. ◦ DC motor, an electric motor that runs on direct current electricity. ◦ Servo motor, an electric motor that operates a servo, commonly used in robotics ◦ Stepper motor, a type of electric motor capable of rotating its output shaft in equally spaced fractions of a full rotation, known as steps. • Rectangular or Cartesian robot, is a manipulator that can only move along x, y, z axis in straight lines. • Cylindrical robot, is a manipulator that can rotate about its base and can move linearly in horizontal and vertical planes. • SCARA robot, is an articulated manipulator similar to a cylindrical robot, but it has a rotational reach axis rather than a linear one. • Polar of Spherical robot, is a manipulator that not only can rotate about its base and its head, but also can move linearly in and out. • Jointed Arm robot, is a manipulator that resemble the design of the human arm and have the largest work cell per amount of required floor space. • Mobile robot is an automatic machine that have the capability to move around in their environment and are not fixed to one physical location. ◦ Wheeled robot is able to navigate around the ground using motorized wheels to propel themselves. There are many possible configurations depending on the number of wheels: 2 (differential steering), 3 (tricycle steering), 4 (car-like steering), etc. ◦ Legged robot is a type of mobile robot that uses legs instead of wheels for its movement. They have usually 2 (biped), 4 (quadruped) or 6 (hexapod) legs, although the may have more.