A mechanical arm is a mechanical device, which can be automatic or human-controlled; an industrial robot is an automated equipment, and a mechanical arm is a type of industrial robot, and industrial robots also have other forms. Although the two have different meanings, they refer to overlapping parts. So in simple terms, there are many forms of industrial robots, and the robotic arm is just one of them.

The difference between a robot and a mechanical arm is that the robot can not only receive instructions from humans, it can also perform tasks according to human pre-programmed programs, and it can also act according to the principles specified by artificial intelligence. In the future, robots will assist or replace more human tasks, especially some repetitive tasks and dangerous tasks.

The definition of robots in other countries is also different. European and American countries believe that robots should be controlled by computers, and they can be programmed to become multi-functional automatic machines; Japan considers robots to be advanced automatic machines, so manipulators are included in the definition of robots. European and American countries believe that robotic arms with 6 axes and above can be called robots, and those with 5 axes and below can only be called robotic arms; Japan defines 3-axis robotic arms as robots. At present, the concept of robots in the world has basically become the same, and they all believe that robots are an automated machine that realizes various functions by its own power and control capabilities. The difference between robot and manipulator in the scope of application Manipulator arms are widely used in the industry. The main technologies included are drive and control. Manipulator arms are generally in series. Robots are mainly divided into series structure and parallel structure: Parallel robots are mostly used in occasions that require high rigidity, high precision, high speed and no large space. They are specifically used in sorting, handling, simulated motion, parallel machine tools, metal cutting processing, and robot joints. , Spacecraft interface, etc.; Series robots and parallel robots form a complementary relationship in application. The working space of series robots is large, which can avoid the coupling effect between drive shafts. However, each axis of the mechanism must be controlled independently, and encoders and