actuator
noun
-shə-\
Definition of actuator
: one that actuates specifically : a mechanical device for moving or controlling something
Examples of actuator in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon, for example, have developed a snake robot made of 16 decidedly unbiological actuators, or motors, that move in concert to mimic the way a real serpent would. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "How Roboticists Are Copying Nature to Make Fantastical Machines," 28 June 2018 The devices contain numerous actuators beneath a flexible rubber cover, and they can be individually controlled and varied in pressure to simulate light touches up through more pronounced contact. — Eric Adams, WIRED, "VR Pilot Training Now Comes With a Sense of Touch," 26 June 2018 Creator’s burger-making robot is a long stretch of sleek machinery, with 350 sensors, 50 actuators, and 20 computers to ensure every sauce is dispensed down to the milliliter and every spice down to the gram. — Renae Reints, Fortune, "The World’s First Entirely Robot-Crafted Burger Is Here. This Is Exactly How It’s Made," 22 June 2018 The 14-foot machine contains 350 sensors, 20 computers and 50 actuator mechanisms to accomplish the burger making process. — Justin Phillips, SFChronicle.com, "Six things to know about Creator, San Francisco’s new burger robot restaurant," 27 June 2018 By applying pressure to your fingertips, the actuators can replicate object stiffness, coarse textures, and the sensation of holding physical objects in your hands. — Eric Adams, WIRED, "VR Pilot Training Now Comes With a Sense of Touch," 26 June 2018 Using independent actuators, motors and lightweight conformal structures, lithium ion battery powered FORTIS allows soldiers to carry 180 pounds up five flights of stairs while expending less energy. — Kris Osborn, Fox News, "Army prototypes new self-powering 'Iron Man' soldier suits," 6 June 2018 Well, Atlas doesn’t come without its downsides: Its hydraulic actuators are strong, yet necessarily bulky. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "The Lab Making Robots Walk Through Fire and Ride Segways," 25 Apr. 2018 The team's innovation is a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator adhesive strip that can stick to the surface of wind turbine blades, plane wings and truck trailers. — Justin Madden, cleveland.com, "300-gallon spill closes portion of I-480, police say," 19 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'actuator.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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