Components

A component represents a physical piece of electrical or electromechanical hardware in a robot.

The following component types are natively supported. If you would like to use additional component types, you can extend Viam with custom components and services.

Arm

A robotic arm is made up of a series of links and joints, ending with a device you can position.

Base

The moving platform that the other parts of a mobile robot attach to.

Board

The signal wire hub of a robot, with GPIO pins for transmitting signals between the robot's computer and its other components.

Camera

A camera captures 2D or 3D images and sends them to the computer controlling the robot.

Encoder

A special type of sensor that measures rotation of a motor or joint.

Gantry

A mechanical system of linear rails that can precisely position an attached device.

Gripper

A gripper is a robotic grasping device that can open and close.

Input Controller

An input controller, like a gamepad or joystick, is a device humans use to control a robot's actions.

Motor

A motor is a rotating machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy.

Movement Sensor

A sensor that measures location, kinematic data, or both.

Sensor

A device that sends information about the outside world to the computer controlling a robot.

Servo

A hobby servo is a special type of small motor whose position you can precisely control.