Robot 101 · Chapter 08
Robotics glossary EN–中文: the vocabulary of the robot supply chain
In one paragraph: Sourcing a robot component means reading datasheets, spec sheets, and factory audits in two languages at once. This glossary pairs 49 core robotics terms — actuation, sensing, software, AI, power, and compliance — with their English and 中文 forms and a one-line definition, so an English-speaking engineer and a Shenzhen supplier can point at the same row and mean the same thing.
Actuation & motion
| English term | 中文 | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Actuator | 执行器 | Device that converts energy (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic) into mechanical motion at a robot joint. |
| Backdrivability | 反驱动性 | The ability to move a joint by applying external force to its output, rather than driving the motor. |
| DOF | 自由度 | Degrees of Freedom: the number of independent motion axes needed to fully specify a robot's configuration. |
| End-effector | 末端执行器 | The tool, gripper, or hand mounted at the terminus of a robot arm that interacts with the world. |
| Harmonic Drive | 谐波减速器 | A strain-wave gear transmission delivering near-zero backlash and high reduction ratios in a compact package. |
| Kinematic chain | 运动链 | A series of rigid links connected by joints that together define a robot's reachable motion. |
| QDD | 准直驱 | Quasi-Direct Drive: an actuator pairing a high-torque motor with a very low (or no) gear ratio for backdrivable joints. |
Sensing & perception
| English term | 中文 | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Depth Camera | 深度相机 | A camera that produces a per-pixel distance measurement, often alongside an RGB image. |
| EKF | 扩展卡尔曼滤波器 | Extended Kalman Filter: an algorithm that fuses noisy sensor readings into a single best estimate of state. |
| F/T Sensor | 六维力矩传感器 | A force-torque sensor measuring all six loads (three forces, three torques) at a robot's wrist. |
| IMU | 惯性测量单元 | Inertial Measurement Unit: an accelerometer plus gyroscope combination that tracks orientation and motion. |
| LiDAR | 激光雷达 | Light Detection And Ranging: a sensor that scans surroundings in 3D using pulsed laser light. |
| SLAM | 同步定位与建图 | Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping: building a map of an unknown environment while tracking position within it. |
Software, control & connectivity
| English term | 中文 | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| CAN FD | 控制器局域网-灵活数据率 | A high-speed variant of the CAN bus used to link motors, sensors, and controllers inside a robot joint. |
| DDS | 数据分发服务 | Data Distribution Service: the publish-subscribe transport layer underlying ROS 2 communication. |
| EtherCAT | EtherCAT | A real-time Ethernet protocol used to synchronise robot joints and controllers with microsecond-level timing. |
| FOC | 磁场定向控制 | Field-Oriented Control: a motor control technique that decomposes current into torque- and flux-producing components for smooth output. |
| HQP | 层次二次规划 | Hierarchical Quadratic Program: an optimisation solver used in whole-body control to prioritise competing motion tasks. |
| MoveIt 2 | MoveIt 2 | The standard ROS 2 framework for robot arm motion planning and manipulation. |
| Nav2 | Nav2 | The standard ROS 2 framework for mobile robot navigation, path planning, and obstacle avoidance. |
| Pinocchio | Pinocchio | An open-source library for computing robot rigid-body dynamics and kinematics. |
| ROS 2 | 机器人操作系统2 | Robot Operating System 2: a widely used open-source middleware framework for building robot software. |
| WBC | 全身控制 | Whole-Body Control: a control approach that coordinates every joint of a robot simultaneously to meet multiple objectives at once. |
AI & learning
| English term | 中文 | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour Cloning | 行为克隆 | An imitation-learning method that trains a policy directly from recorded human demonstrations. |
| DAgger | 数据集聚合算法 | Dataset Aggregation: an imitation-learning algorithm that iteratively corrects a policy's mistakes with expert feedback. |
| Diffusion Policy | 扩散策略 | A robot manipulation policy that generates actions using diffusion-model mathematics. |
| LeRobot | LeRobot | Hugging Face's open-source toolkit and dataset format for robot learning. |
| PPO | 近端策略优化 | Proximal Policy Optimization: a widely used reinforcement-learning algorithm for training robot control policies. |
| SAC | 软演员-评论员 | Soft Actor-Critic: a reinforcement-learning algorithm that balances reward-seeking with exploration. |
| VLM | 视觉语言模型 | Vision-Language Model: an AI model that jointly reasons over images and text to guide robot behaviour. |
Power & batteries
| English term | 中文 | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| BMS | 电池管理系统 | Battery Management System: the electronics that monitor and protect a battery pack's cells during charge and discharge. |
| C-rate | 倍率 | A measure of battery charge or discharge current expressed relative to the pack's total capacity. |
| LFP | 磷酸铁锂 | Lithium Iron Phosphate: a battery chemistry valued for safety and cycle life over peak energy density. |
| NMC | 三元锂电池 | Nickel Manganese Cobalt: a battery chemistry offering higher energy density than LFP at a safety trade-off. |
| PDU | 电源分配单元 | Power Distribution Unit: the module that routes battery power to a robot's motors and electronics. |
Robot types & business models
| English term | 中文 | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| AMR | 自主移动机器人 | Autonomous Mobile Robot: a wheeled or tracked robot that navigates a facility without fixed guide paths. |
| Cobot | 协作机器人 | A collaborative robot designed to work safely alongside people in a shared workspace. |
| RaaS | 机器人即服务 | Robot-as-a-Service: a commercial model where customers pay a subscription instead of buying the robot outright. |
Manufacturing, reliability & compliance
| English term | 中文 | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| DFM | 可制造性设计 | Design for Manufacturing: designing a part or product to be produced efficiently and reliably at scale. |
| FAI | 首件检验 | First Article Inspection: a formal check of the first production unit against the full drawing before mass production begins. |
| FRU | 现场可更换单元 | Field Replaceable Unit: a component designed to be swapped on-site by a technician without factory repair. |
| MTBF | 平均故障间隔时间 | Mean Time Between Failures: the average operating time a system runs before a failure occurs. |
| OTA | 空中下载更新 | Over-the-Air: a firmware or software update delivered to a robot wirelessly rather than by physical connection. |
| IEC 62133 | IEC 62133 | The international safety testing standard for portable rechargeable battery cells and packs. |
| ISO 13482 | ISO 13482 | The international safety standard covering personal care robots that operate near people. |
| MIIT | 工业和信息化部 | Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: the Chinese regulator overseeing industrial and telecom standards. |
| PDPO | 个人资料私隐条例 | Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance: Hong Kong's law governing the collection and handling of personal data, relevant to any robot with cameras or sensors. |
| TAIS | 福祉用具情報システム | Japan's welfare device information and registration system for care and assistive equipment. |
| UN38.3 | UN38.3 | The mandatory safety test protocol lithium batteries must pass before air freight shipment. |
Sourcing note. Asaptic works in both languages every day, sourcing components cross-checked against supplier test data from the Shenzhen ecosystem with English documentation, test data, and landed-cost math for your destination. Send a sourcing enquiry or see what we source.
Quick answers
What is the difference between a harmonic drive and a planetary gearbox?
A harmonic drive meshes a flexible spline against a rigid ring gear via a wave generator, giving near-zero backlash and very high single-stage ratios in a compact housing. A planetary gearbox is cheaper and more efficient but has more backlash and needs multiple stages for the same ratio — which is why precision joints favour harmonic drives.
What does DOF mean in robotics?
Degrees of Freedom — the number of independent parameters needed to fully specify a robot's configuration. A door hinge has 1 DOF, a standard industrial arm has 6, and a full humanoid can exceed 35.