工業(yè)機(jī)器人是在生產(chǎn)環(huán)境中用以提高生產(chǎn)效率的工具，它能做常規(guī)乏味的裝配線工作，或能做那些對于工人來說是危險的工作，例如：第一代工業(yè)機(jī)器人是用來在核電站中更換核燃料棒，如果人去做這項(xiàng)工作，將會遭受有害射線的輻射。工業(yè)機(jī)器人亦能工作在裝配線上將小元件裝配到一起，如將電子元件安放在電路印刷板，這樣，工人就能從這項(xiàng)乏味的常規(guī)工作中解放出來。機(jī)器人也能按程序要求用來拆除炸彈，輔助殘疾人，在社會的很多應(yīng)用場合下履行職能。
機(jī)器人可以認(rèn)為是將手臂末端的工具、傳感器和手爪移動到程序指定位置的一種機(jī)器。當(dāng)機(jī)器人到達(dá)位置后，它將執(zhí)行某種任務(wù)。這些任務(wù)可以是焊接、密封、機(jī)器裝料、拆裝以及裝配工作。除了編程以及系統(tǒng)的開停之外，一般來說這些工作可以在無人干預(yù)下完成。
如下敘述的是機(jī)器人系統(tǒng)基本術(shù)語：
1.機(jī)器人是一個可編程、多功能的機(jī)械手，通過給要完成的不同任務(wù)編制


The industrial robot is used in the manufacturing environment to increase productivity . It can be used to do routine and tedious assembly line jobs , or it can perform jobs that might be hazardous to do routine
and tedious assembly line jobs , or it can perform jobs that might be hazardous to the human worker . For example , one of the first industrial robots was used to replace the nuclear fuel rods in nuclear power plants . A human doing this job might be exposed to harmful amounts of radiation . The industrial robot can also operate on the assembly line , putting together small components , such as placing electronic components on a printed circuit board . Thus , the human worker can be relieved of the routine operation of this tedious task . Robots can also be programmed to defuse bombs , to serve the handicapped , and to perform functions in numerous applications in our society .
The robot can be thought of as a machine that will move an end-of-arm tool , sensor , and gripper to a preprogrammed location . When the robot arrives at this location , it will perform some sort of task . This task could be welding , sealing , machine loading , machine unloading , or a host of assembly jobs . Generally , this work can be accomplished without the involvement of a human being , except for programming and for turning the system on and off .