Components of Robots: A robot is a complex machine which may contain mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and microelectronic components. Essentially a robot consists of four elements.
Drive system: The drive system controls and velocity of end effectors. There are three major type of drive used in robots, namely, Electrical drives; Hydraulic drives; Pneumatic drives.
Control system: The control system controls and velocity of the end effectors of the robot based on the logical sequence and operating programs.
Measuring system: A measurement of output is important; the control system continuously measures the actual position during a motion cycle and compares it with the theoretical values required, in order to provide a correction action.
Sensors: The main function of to permit the robot to interact with the environment in an intelligent manner. Various types of sensors are available nowadays including tactile proximity, ultrasonic ranging and vision sensors.