end effector
noun
variants
or end-effector
ˈend-i-ˈfek-tər 
-ˌtȯr
plural end effectors or end-effectors
: any of various tools that can be mounted at the end of a robotic arm and that are used to interact with or manipulate objects
Performance data on robots, Lau says, usually describe a device's ability to place its end effector at a given point and do so repeatedly at very low speeds.—
K. M. Reese
K. M. ReeseExamples of end effector in a Sentence
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By replacing its feet with hooked end effectors and employing advanced reinforcement learning techniques, the robot can now ascend ladders at various angles with a 90% success rate.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 3 Nov. 2024
The Free Gait interface defines a whole-body abstraction layer to accommodate a variety of task-space control commands such as end effector, joint, and base motions.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023
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Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 3 Nov. 2024
The Free Gait interface defines a whole-body abstraction layer to accommodate a variety of task-space control commands such as end effector, joint, and base motions.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“End effector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/end%20effector. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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