| Actuator |
A part that makes something move or change: motor, servo, speaker, light. |
| Algorithm |
A precise list of steps to solve a problem. |
| Amp (A) |
Unit of electric current. 1 A = 1,000 mA. |
| Analog |
A signal that can take any value in a range (e.g. 0–5 V). |
| Autonomous |
Able to sense and decide without a human controlling it. |
| Breadboard |
A board for building circuits without soldering. |
| Chassis |
The body or frame of a robot. |
| Closed loop |
Control that checks a sensor and corrects itself. |
| Continuity |
Whether two points are electrically connected; multimeters beep to show it. |
| Controller |
The robot’s “brain”, usually a microcontroller. |
| Digital |
A signal that is either on (HIGH) or off (LOW). |
| Encoder |
A sensor that counts how far a wheel or shaft has turned. |
| Forward voltage (Vf) |
The voltage an LED or diode uses when it’s on. |
| GND (ground) |
The 0 V reference point all voltages are measured from. |
| H-bridge |
A circuit that lets a motor spin both ways; found in motor drivers. |
| IMU |
Inertial Measurement Unit: accelerometer + gyroscope that sense motion and tilt. |
| Iteration |
One trip around the build–test–improve loop. |
| LED |
Light-Emitting Diode. Lights up when current flows the right way. |
| mAh |
Milliamp-hours, a measure of battery capacity. |
| Microcontroller |
A tiny computer on one chip that runs one program (e.g. on an Arduino). |
| Motor driver |
A board that lets a microcontroller control motors using battery power. |
| Ohm (Ω) |
Unit of resistance. |
| Ohm’s law |
V = I × R. |
| Open loop |
Control that acts without checking the result. |
| PID |
A feedback method (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) for smooth, accurate control. |
| Prototype |
An early version built to test an idea. |
| PWM |
Pulse-Width Modulation: switching power on and off fast to control speed or brightness. |
| Resistor |
A component that limits current. |
| ROS 2 |
Robot Operating System, a software framework used by professional robots. |
| Sensor |
A part that measures something about the world. |
| Servo |
A motor that turns to a precise angle. |
| Short circuit |
An accidental path with almost no resistance, causing dangerous current. |
| Volt (V) |
Unit of voltage (electrical “push”). |
| Watt (W) |
Unit of power. P = V × I. |