Non-Glossary

Following is a list of related keywords. It would be a glossary except there are no definitions. :)

general robotics terms

locomotion
manipulation
vision
navigation and localization
human-robot interaction
control theory
machine learning
planning
artificial intelligence

control theory

system
state
velocity
trajectory
open-loop
closed-loop
feedback
sensor
model
stability
passive stability

mechanism

degree of freedom
kinematics
underactuation
pneumatic actuator
DC motor
servomotor
hobby servo
stepper motor
encoder
compliant
series-elastic

biology and robotics

biomimetic
biorobotics
proprioception
grasp
non-prehensile
closure
primitive

kinematics

An rigid body unconstrained in space can be described as a ‘free joint’ which imposes no constraints. It has six degrees of freedom: three translational freedoms, and three spatial rotational freedoms. There are several common numerical representations of the rotational freedoms:

Euler angles
Quaternion
Rotation matrix

A pair of rigid bodies may be constrained by physical contact (e.g. a joint bearing) to form a Kinematic pair.

In particular, a ‘lower pair’ is an idealized joint between two rigid bodies. Following are all the lower pairs:

DOF

joint

1

wheel, hinge, pivot, “revolute pair”

1

slider, “prismatic joint”

1

screw

2

cylindrical

3

planar

3

ball and socket, “spherical”