Actuator

An actuator converts supplied energy and a control signal into physical action, such as movement, force, or a change in position.

Electric motor: A machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion. Rotating motors provide a common way to drive actuator motion.
Control signal: A signal that specifies or influences a system's desired operation. It tells the actuator when and how strongly to act.
Robotics: The field concerned with designing, building, and operating robots. Robots combine actuators to move limbs, wheels, and tools.
Transducer: A device that converts one form of energy or signal into another. Actuators are transducers whose defining output is physical action.
Hydraulic actuator: An actuator that uses pressurized liquid to produce force or movement. Hydraulic designs generate large forces through fluid pressure.
Servo mechanism: A feedback control system that corrects output to track a desired value. A servo mechanism uses actuator motion to follow commanded positions or speeds.
Industrial automation: The use of control systems and machinery to operate industrial processes. Actuators execute commands that move materials and operate production equipment.
Passive mechanism: A mechanical arrangement that transmits or constrains motion without supplying powered action. Unlike an actuator, it does not convert supplied energy into commanded movement.
Pneumatic actuator: An actuator powered by compressed gas, usually air. Pneumatic designs turn compressed air into linear or rotary motion.
Sensor: A device that detects a physical quantity and produces a corresponding signal. Sensor feedback lets a controller assess the result of actuator motion.

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