Kris Hauser · University of Illinois · Course chapter

What Is Robotics?

An introductory chapter examining what makes a robot and how sensing, physical movement and computation relate.

Source text reviewed October 27, 2026. Study notes and exercises are written by botstest.

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Where to start

Begin with the definition and examples, then identify the task your own project is intended to perform.

Use it in your project

Draw the boundary of your proposed robot system and list its inputs, outputs and intended environment.

Scope and limitations

This is part of a draft textbook. It establishes vocabulary rather than providing a ready-made construction guide.

Follow a related roadmap

Build a robotics career-transition portfolio · Beginner →

Read: Begin with the definition and examples, then identify the task your own project is intended to perform.

Use the definitions to separate a physical task, a software capability and the overall system boundary.

Produce: Choose one robot task and explain how the target role contributes to its physical behavior.