CSCE 452/752 Robotics and Spatial Intelligence, Fall 2025

1. Introduction

What is a robot?

Weasel words

The editors of Wikipedia had extreme difficulty coming to a consensus on the definition.
a screenshot of wishy-washy definitions of the word robot
a screenshot of wishy-washy definitions of the word robot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot

From one of the pioneers of robotics

You can't define a robot. It's the same as trying to define Mt. Fuji. If a steep hill suddenly protrudes from the flatland, you can draw a line to show where the mountain starts, but Mt Fuji becomes higher so gradually that you can't draw a line. Robots are like Mt. Fuji. It's hard to separate what is a robot from what is not. Asimo is so near the peak, anyone can easily call it a robot. But what about a dishwasher? It can automatically wash dishes, so you might call it a robot. The line is blurry.
– Masahiro Mori
Photo of roboticist Masahiro Mori Landscape photo of Mount Fuji
[RAS Magazine, June 2012]

Some defining characteristics

The word “robot” can be surprisingly difficult to define.
However, there are some important defining characteristics to look for:
[Mataric, The Robotics Primer]

The State of Robotics: Rapid Progress, But a Long Way to Go

robots in a warehouse
[Amazon Robotics]
an autonomous vehicle
[Waymo]
a flying robot
[DJI]
an underwater robot
[Independent Robotics]

The Fundamental Problem

A robot relies on its sensors and actuators to interact with the world...
a cartoon robot
an arrow pointing left
a cartoon sensor a cartoon camera
sensors
an arrow pointing left
an arrow pointing right
a cartoon of wheels a cartoon robot arm
actuators
an arrow pointing right
a cartoon globe
...but the world is complex and unpredictable.
...and the hardware is often limited or unreliable.

The Fundamental Problem

Robotics problems exist at the intersection computation, action, and sensing.
a diagram showing robotics in the middle between sensing, computing, and acting

Example: Parallel parking

a diagram of vehicles parallel parking

Core problems: Navigation and motion planning

Get from here to there.
a diagram of a robot
[Choset+, ch 2]
 robots lifting a piano through a cluttered room
robots lifting a piano through a cluttered room
robots lifting a piano through a cluttered room
[J. Cortes, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse]

Core problems: Localization and mapping

Where am I? What is around me?
a map with a squiggly red path moving through it a map with a squiggly red path that passes through the obstacles
[Choset+, ch 8]
 an occupancy grid map showing a severe mapping failure a robot, an image from the robot

Core problems: Manipulation

Grasp, transport, assemble, or disassemble objects in the environment.
a robot reaching into a shelf

Core problems: Exploration and coverage

Move to see or touch everything in the environment.
a colorful random path traced by a Roomba

an XKCD cartoon about computer problems
http://xkcd.com/722