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Robot composition

About 5 min read

Depending on the perspective, the understanding of robot composition may vary. From a macro perspective, a robot consists of two major parts: hardware and software. Further refined, a robot can be divided into three major parts: control system , sensing system , and hardware platform .

1. Control system

The control system is equivalent to the brain of a robot, composed of a processor installed with a robot operating system, and is the core of the robot. The main task of the control system is to generate control commands based on operation instructions and sensor feedback, while also being responsible for functions such as algorithm processing and human-robot interaction. It plays a key role in intelligent decision-making and task execution within the robot.

2. Sensing system

The sensing system is equivalent to a robot's senses and is divided into an internal sensor module and an external sensor module.

  • The internal sensing system includes motor encoders, gyroscopes, etc., and can detect the robot's pose state through its own signal feedback.

  • The external sensing system includes cameras, radar, etc., and is used to perceive the external environment.

The sensing system acquires useful information, helping the robot perceive and understand its surrounding environment, and playing a role in assisting robot operation and decision-making.

3. Hardware Platform

The hardware platform is equivalent to the body of a robot, providing physical support for the robot, and generally consists of two parts: the drive system and the actuator mechanism.

  • The drive system is primarily responsible for driving the actuators, converting the commands issued by the control system into the signals required by the actuators, analogous to the human cerebellum and nerves.

  • The actuators are the mechanical parts of the robot, analogous to human hands and feet, such as the robot's locomotion components and robotic arms.

Currently, robot hardware platforms have become very mature and come in a wide variety of types, including but not limited to aerial vehicles, wheeled robots, quadruped robots, humanoid robots, soft robots, and underwater robots. In addition, we can even build simple robots based on abundant reference materials. In study and work, everyone can choose a suitable robot platform according to actual needs.