ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of sensors and instrumentation from the point of view of their usage in robotics. The sensors, microelectronic and mechanical systems and even smart sensors are the key elements and component in robotics for gathering information about the environment as well as about robots themselves. Sensors are classified as internal sensor and external sensor based on what parameters are being measured. Certain sensors that are useful in robotics might be based on on/off operations of switches that detect the presence or absence of obstacles in the vicinity of a robot. The three major types of actuators used for the mobile intelligent autonomous system/robotics are electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic. The major components that any robotic instrumentation system would have are its body-mounted sensors, data acquisition unit, signal conditioner and interface electronics between the real world and the controller.
