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.
27 terms explained
Use
Technical
ActuatorThe motorised "muscle" that moves a joint.BipedWalks on two legs, like a human.DOF (degrees of freedom)The number of independent joints a robot has.Embodied AIAn artificial intelligence tied to a physical body (a robot) that perceives and acts in the real world.Firmware / OTA updateThe robot's internal software, updated remotely.Gripper / handThe hand or claw at the end of the arm that grasps objects.Large language model (LLM)An AI model trained on vast amounts of text, able to understand and generate language — and, increasingly, to drive robots.LiDARA 'laser radar' that lets the robot see in 3D.Onboard AIThe artificial intelligence running inside the robot itself.Pre-loaded movementA gesture sequence recorded in advance that the robot replays identically, without deciding it itself.QuadrupedA four-legged robot, dog-style (e.g. Boston Dynamics Spot).SDKThe toolkit for programming the robot yourself.TFLOPSA unit of computing power: one trillion floating-point operations per second.Training dataThe examples (movements, images, measurements) a robot learns a task from.
Buying & cost
CE markingThe maker's declaration that the product meets EU rules.Customer acquisition costWhat a company spends to win a customer — sometimes selling at a loss to capture something else, like data.Customs dutiesA tax on entry into the EU, based on country of origin.DepreciationSpreading a purchase cost over several accounting years.HS code (customs)The code that classifies a product for customs.LeasingRenting the robot over 2-3 years, with a buyout option at the end.RaaS (Robot as a Service)Renting a robot by subscription, services included.VATA 20 % tax on the price, recoverable by a business.