Robot Terminology

Front

Robot

Back

A machine that can perform tasks automatically. Example: A robot vacuum cleans the floor.

Front

Sensor

Back

A device that detects changes in the environment. Example: A light sensor detects brightness.

Front

Actuator

Back

A device that makes the robot move or perform an action. Example: A motor moves the robot arm.

Front

Programming / Code

Back

Instructions that tell the robot what to do. Example: Telling a robot to move forward.

Front

Algorithm

Back

A step-by-step plan to solve a problem. Example: Steps to make a robot pick up a ball.

Front

Loop

Back

A set of instructions that repeats until a condition is met. Example: Make the robot blink its lights 5 times.

Front

Conditional / If Statement

Back

Commands that happen only if a condition is true. Example: If the sensor detects an obstacle, stop the robot.

Front

Variable

Back

A place to store information that can change. Example: Speed = 5 (can change later to 10).

Front

Function / Method

Back

A set of instructions that can be reused. Example: A “move forward” function makes the robot go forward whenever called.

Front

Debugging

Back

Finding and fixing errors in the code. Example: Changing the code because the robot didn’t move correctly.