Descriptionary

droid a robot programmed to cause no harm to humans, a popular device used in science fiction.

end effectors devices or tools, such as drills, saws, screwdrivers, and grippers, attached to the end of a robot arm to perform different tasks.

feedback a robot's ability to sense external stimuli and respond to it.

first-generation robot a deaf, dumb, and blind robot; an early model with no sensory ability.

fixed-stop robot a simple robot in which motion is controlled by a series of mechanical stops.

gripper a hand or manipulator used for grasping; an end effector.

hard automation a low-tech form of automation that can be altered only by shutting down the sys­tem and changing its physical components. See soft automation.

humanoid any robot similar to a human in appear­ance or behavior.

interface a mechanical connection between two components, say a computer and a robot arm.

joystick control a stick moved by an operator to control a robot's motions.

manipulator the arm or hand of an industrial robot.

menu a list of possible motions of a robot, used by an operator in programming tasks.

micromotor a microscopic motor, powered by piezoelectricity, and currently being developed to navigate the human bloodstream to target diseased arteries.

MuLE multifunction utility/logistics and equip­ment vehicle; currently under development for the military, a robotically-controlled vehicle designed to carry ammunition to troops on the battlefield, to carry out the wounded, and to fire machine guns or antitank weapons.

neuroengineering the emerging technology of con­necting the human brain with machines or robots and controlling them through thought.

pick-and-place robot a simple form of robot con­sisting of an arm that transfers objects from one place to another.

point-to-point control programming a robot's arm movement along a series of points.

program a series of computer commands processed in binary language of 0's and 1's to control a robot's actions.

programmable robot a robot that can be pro­grammed and reprogrammed to perform various tasks.

proximity sensor a device that senses position and distance of objects.

PuMA programmable universal machine for assem­bly; commercial name for a widely used manufactur­ing robot arm.

resolution a robot's accuracy at placing its end effectors within the desired parameters.

revolute coordinate robot a robot arm jointed at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.

second-generation robot a robot equipped with sensory apparatus allowing it to react to visual, audi­tory, or tactile stimuli.

sensor any detection device used to sense tempera­ture, moisture, radiation, light, distance, or motion.

servo mechanism an actuator or motor and a feed­back device that conduct accurate movement and cor­rect any deviation in intended movement. Also called a servo motor.

soft automation an automated system that can be altered or modified by software programming. See hard automation.

Soldier unmanned Ground vehicle currently under development for the military, a remote-con­trolled renaissance robot capable of climbing stairs, inspecting interiors, and serving sentry duty. Abbrevi­ated as SUGV.

syntaxeur a machine used to teach a robot a series of movements by driving a control device through the same motions.

systems fusion the successful blending of various components, such as a global positing system (GPS) navigation system with radar and visual cameras.

telechiric device a robot hand or arm manipulated by an operator from a remote location.

teleoperated any machine or robot arm controlled from a remote location by an operator.

telepresence manipulating a mechanical arm or hand and receiving stimulus or feedback from it while in a remote location.

third-generation robot a robot having a high form of artificial intelligence, for example, the ability to make decisions on its own.

work envelope the collective area within which a robot arm can reach and work.

wrist articulation the ability of a robot wrist to bend up and down, turn side to side, and rotate.

yaw side to side movement of a robot arm.

NYIRQNMENT

atmosphere and sky

air the mixture of Earth's atmospheric gases, consist­ing of approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and small amounts of argon, carbon diox­ide, neon, helium, methane, krypton, nitrous oxide, hydrogen, ozone, xenon, nitric oxide, and radon.

airglow the distinct glow or luminescence emanat­ing from the ionosphere, caused by complex electro­chemical reactions.

astronomical dawn the time when the Sun is 18