A robot is a machine designed to perform tasks automatically, often following a set of programmed instructions. Unlike a simple tool that you control directly, a robot can carry out complex actions on its own once you tell it what to do.

Robots come in many forms. Factory robots weld car parts together with precision that human hands can't match. Robots explore Mars, sending back pictures from places no human has ever been. Some robots vacuum your floors, navigating around furniture without anyone steering them. Others help doctors perform delicate surgeries.

Early robots were purely mechanical, but modern robots often have computers as their “brains” and sensors as their “eyes” and “ears.” A robotic vacuum uses sensors to detect walls and stairs. A surgical robot translates a surgeon's hand movements into incredibly precise motions.

Not every automatic machine is a robot, though. Your automatic dishwasher runs through the same cycle every time; it can't sense its environment or adapt its actions. A true robot can respond to what it encounters, whether that's a warehouse robot avoiding obstacles or a robot arm adjusting its grip based on what it's holding.

Some people worry that robots will take jobs from humans, while others see them as tools that free people from dangerous or repetitive work. Either way, robots keep getting more capable and common in our world.