Glossary
Humanoid robots in plain words
Every technical term about humanoid robots, explained in a sentence or two — no jargon. Because you shouldn't need an engineering degree to understand what you're buying.
21 terms explained
Use
- Battery life
- How long a robot lasts before it needs recharging. Count 2 h for an entry model, up to 8 h for the most enduring. Caveat: manufacturer figures are measured walking, not under heavy effort.
- Cobot
- Short for 'collaborative robot'. Built to share space with humans without a safety cage: it limits its force and stops at the slightest contact. Most domestic humanoids aim for this behaviour.
- Humanoid robot
- A robot designed to resemble a human body — two arms, two legs, a head — so it can move through our spaces (homes, factories) and use our tools. Different from a fixed robotic arm or a wheeled robot.
- Payload
- The weight a robot can lift and carry without straining. A domestic model handles 3-5 kg (a laundry basket), an industrial one up to 20 kg (a heavy box). A decisive criterion depending on your use.
- Teleoperation
- Having the robot perform a task by controlling it from a distance (gloves, VR headset, controller). Many impressive demos are in fact teleoperated: the robot isn't acting alone, a human is guiding it. Worth knowing before you're wowed.
Technical
- Actuator
- The motor that drives each of the robot's joints — the equivalent of a muscle. Actuator quality determines the force, smoothness and quietness of movement. It's also the part most likely to wear out.
- Biped
- Describes a robot that moves on two legs. It's what defines a humanoid — and also its biggest technical challenge: balancing upright is far harder than rolling on wheels.
- DOF (degrees of freedom)
- DOF stands for degrees of freedom — the number of joints that move independently. The more there are, the more supple and precise the robot's movements. A modern humanoid has 20 to 30.
- Firmware / OTA update
- Firmware is the base software that runs the robot. 'OTA' (over-the-air) updates add new capabilities over the internet without taking the robot back to the shop — like your smartphone. So a robot keeps improving after purchase.
- Gripper / hand
- The device at the end of the arm that picks up objects: an articulated multi-finger hand or a simple claw. The finer it is, the more delicate the objects the robot can handle (an egg, a glass) — a real technical challenge.
- LiDAR
- A sensor that fires laser beams to measure distances and map space in 3D. It helps the robot avoid obstacles and find its way around a room, even in the dark. Like a bat, but with light.
- Onboard AI
- The software 'brain' that lets the robot understand its surroundings, recognise objects and decide its actions without being driven. The more advanced it is, the more autonomous the robot — the fastest-moving area of the field.
- Quadruped
- A robot that moves on four legs, like a dog. More stable than a biped, it's mainly used for inspection and surveillance. Not a humanoid in the strict sense, but it lives in the same world.
- SDK
- Software Development Kit: the set of tools a manufacturer provides to build your own programs and tasks. An open SDK (as with Unitree) is an asset for R&D and education. Some makers, by contrast, lock it down.
Buying & cost
- CE marking
- The 'CE' mark is the manufacturer's declaration that its product complies with European safety rules. It's not a quality label, but an important legal guarantee — especially for a machine walking around your home.
- Customs duties
- A tax levied when a product enters the European Union, calculated as a percentage of its value. For robots: 0 % from the US, 3.7 % from China. It is added to the price before VAT.
- Depreciation
- For a business, spreading the cost of a durable asset (like a robot) as charges over its useful life, typically 3 to 5 years. Each year, a portion reduces taxable profit, hence tax. See our business tax guide.
- HS code (customs)
- The 'Harmonised System' is a global nomenclature that files each product into a category to compute customs duties. Lacking a dedicated code, humanoids are often classified under 8479.89 ('machines with individual functions').
- Leasing
- A long-term rental (24 to 36 months) often with the option to buy the robot at the end. Payments are deductible for a business. It has become the #1 way to access expensive models without tying up capital.
- RaaS (Robot as a Service)
- Robot as a Service: instead of buying the robot, you pay a monthly subscription covering the machine, maintenance, updates and support. The 'Netflix' model for robots, popularised by 1X NEO. See also leasing.
- VAT
- Value Added Tax, 20 % in France, added to the sale price. A private individual pays it for good; a VAT-registered business recovers it. Often the biggest extra-cost item for a private buyer.