IB Digital Society 3.7B Characteristics of Robots and Autonomous Technologies Key Definitions

A component that turns a system's decisions into physical action, such as a motor, wheel, or robotic gripper that moves or manipulates the world.

A digital system that can sense its environment and act to reach a goal with little or no human control. It need not have a physical body, so it is a broader category than a robot.

The degree to which a system can operate and make decisions on its own, without human control. Autonomy is a spectrum, from simple assistance to full independence.

The processing stage in which a robot or autonomous system uses its sensor data, along with rules or learned models, to decide what to do next.

A programmable machine that can complete a set task with little or no human intervention.

The basic cycle that lets a robot or autonomous technology operate: it senses its environment, reasons about what to do, then acts on the world, repeating continuously.

A device that detects something about the physical world, such as light, sound, distance, or temperature, and converts it into data a system can process.