Robotics: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 31, 2026

News •

Soft robotic enteroscope offers a new approach to small intestine examination • Oct. 28, 2026, 11:02 PM ET (News-Medical)

Insect-inspired flying robot bounces back after collisions • Oct. 28, 2026, 7:40 AM ET (Tech Xplore)

Flexible robot arms learn to predict their next move • Oct. 23, 2026, 5:00 PM ET (Tech Xplore)

Photos and Videos

Industrial robot

Toyota assembly line

Robotic arms and workers in protective gear assemble a car body on an automobile manufacturing line in Russia, surrounded by machinery and cables.

Learn about Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics

See how researchers developed a fully maneuverable fish robot modeled on the electric fish

Learn about an origami robot that forms itself, execute a variety of tasks, and then disappears by degradation

See how robotic fingers controlled by sensor glove, aids the wearer to perform tasks with one hand, which usually requires two hands

Learn about the workings of surgical robots

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

mechanical manipulator Today in History—January 25: Rule Number 1: Don’t Harm Humans necrobotics three laws of robotics computer vision arm-and-body joint link wrist pattern recognition naval architecture civil engineering aerospace engineering Geoengineering petroleum engineering nuclear engineering military engineering electrical and electronics engineering chemical engineering mechanical engineering

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

automation: Machine programming

Key People

default image

Hans Moravec

Canadian computer scientist

Shai Agassi, 2008.

Shai Agassi

Israeli entrepreneur