Exploring types of robot components

Before we look at the types of motors and sensors, let's get a brief understanding of what each of them is.

A motor is an output device that rotates when power is applied. Motors are a subset of a type of machinery called an actuator. It is an output device that creates motion from electrical power. This power can be modulated with signals to control movement. Examples of actuators are solenoids, valves, and pneumatic rams.

A sensor is a device that provides input to a robot, allowing it to sense its environment. There are more sensor types than a single book can list, so we'll keep to the commonly available and fun-to-use ones. Displays and indicators are debug output devices, for giving feedback on the robot's operation to a human user/programmer. A few of these will be covered in this section.

Now, let's look at them in detail.

Types of motors

There are a number of different kinds of motors that robots commonly...