AI EncyclopediaFirst steps4/5
First steps in robots
A guide for complete beginners
Robotics is about building machines that see their surroundings, make decisions and move their bodies to work in the real world.
Why everyone is talking about it
Robot arms in factories have repeated fixed motions for a long time. What is new is that AI is becoming the robot's brain, and many more attempts are being made to build robots that judge for themselves and move, even with objects and situations they have never seen.
That is why there is more news about humanoids that look like people, robots that carry goods in warehouses, and robotaxis that drive with an empty driver's seat. To tell this apart from AI on a screen, people sometimes call the trend "physical AI".
The big picture
- SeeSensors such as cameras and lidar read the surroundings.
- DecideAI decides what to do now and how.
- MoveActuators (motors) move the joints and wheels.
- PracticeThe robot practices countless times in a virtual space, and learns by watching people demonstrate.
- FieldIt works in factories, warehouses, roads and homes, and collects data to learn from again.
How a robot gets one job done, shortened to five steps.
Six ideas to know
Read them in this order and the news gets much easier. Each one opens its encyclopedia entry.
- Physical AIAI that is not just writing text on a screen, but has a body and sees and moves in the real world.
- SensorA part that measures things like light, distance, force and tilt and tells the robot. It is the robot's sense organ.
- ActuatorThe part that actually moves a robot's joints. It is the robot's muscle.
- Humanoid robotA robot shaped like a person, with a head, a torso, two arms and two legs.
- SimulationBuilding a space inside a computer that imitates reality, so you can try things there before trying them for real.
- Autonomous drivingTechnology that lets a car watch its surroundings, make decisions and drive itself in place of a person.
Common misunderstandings
MythHuman-shaped robots are the most useful.
In fact It depends on the job. In many places a robot on wheels or a robot arm is cheaper and tougher. The strength of a human shape is that it can use spaces and tools made for people without changing them.
MythEvery robot in a demo video moved on its own.
In fact Some videos show a person controlling the robot remotely, or only the best take out of many. Check whether the video description says "remote control" or "autonomous".
MythSelf-driving cars already drive without a driver everywhere.
In fact Cars that drive without a driver run only inside set cities and areas. The self-driving features in many cars are assist features that need the driver to keep watching.
Who to watch now
Products with the highest LastAI Index
- 1Tesla OptimusIndex 34
- 2AtlasIndex 20
- 3Unitree G1Index 16
- 4Gemini Robotics 1.5Index 9
The LastAI Index measures how widely something is used and known, from public data. It is recalculated every 15 minutes and is not a measure of quality or investment value. See the full ranking
Follow on the tech radar
News about each technology, company or person, in date order.
Recent milestones
The three latest events from the timeline. The timeline shows how the field got here.
Where to go next
This guide was written by AI and checked again for accuracy before publishing, and the English edition is translated from the Korean guide. Rankings change quickly, so they are not written into the text; 'Who to watch now' shows the LastAI Index as it is. Tell us if something is wrong. Report an errorLast updated