How to Learn Robot Mechanism Terminology

Robot terminology is often misunderstood and misused. There has never been a clear definition of what is and is not a robot. So a robot could be anything from a remote-controlled toy to an autonomous research machine. Learning the basics of robot terminology is invaluable for pursuing a career or hobby in robotics.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Start learning robot mechanism terminology by studying early industrial robots. The history of modern robotics began during the Cold War as a cheaper way to make goods.
2. Explore the development of robots from science fiction to modern research today. Much of the history and terminology of robotics began with science fiction. An early study of the human ideas of robots will greatly aid in the understanding of robot terminology.
3. Study the current uses and capabilities of robots. The most common classifications of robot groups today are "autonomous" and "remote-operated." Autonomous robots are the most complicated robots in terms of software, while remote-operated robots require no special programming and are usually able to perform complex tasks more easily than autonomous models.
4. Understand that all remote robots need a few basic components: a human controller, an actuator that performs a function and a way for the operator to give it commands.
5. Check out a website like Robotworx or a good engineering library (see Resources below) to learn about autonomous robots, or robots that act without a human controller. These robots need much more complex programming as well as sensor arrays to help them interact with their environment.

Tips & Warnings

• ATI Industrial Automation's website contains great libraries of robot terminology (see Resources below).
• There is an ongoing project to help define and standardize robot terminology on the Internet at the Java.net website.
• Many industrial robotics and educational supply stores offer free information about robotics on their websites.