Editing Robot (section)

== Summary ==
[[File:ICub sciencefestival 1.jpg|thumb|[[iCub]] is physically anthropomorphic; it looks like a human.]]

There is no consensus on which machines qualify as robots but there is general agreement among experts, and the public, that robots tend to possess some or all of the following abilities and functions: accept electronic programming, process data or [[machine perception|physical perceptions]] electronically, operate autonomously to some degree, move around, operate physical parts of itself or physical processes, sense and manipulate their environment, and exhibit intelligent behavior, especially behavior which mimics humans or other animals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virtuar.com/click/2005/robonexus/index.htm|first=Igor|last=Polk|title=RoboNexus 2005 robot exhibition virtual tour|publisher=Robonexus Exhibition 2005|date=16 November 2005|access-date=10 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812071030/http://www.virtuar.com/click/2005/robonexus/index.htm|archive-date=12 August 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Harris|url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/robot.htm|title=How Robots Work|publisher=How Stuff Works|access-date=10 September 2007|date=16 April 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826213640/http://science.howstuffworks.com/robot.htm|archive-date=26 August 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

The word ''robot'' can refer to both physical robots and [[Virtual assistant|virtual]] [[software agent]]s, but the latter are usually referred to as [[Internet bot|bots]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://glossary.atis.org/search-results/?search=bot|title=Telecom glossary "bot"|publisher=Alliance for Telecommunications Solutions|date=26 September 2023}}</ref> Related to the concept of a ''robot'' is the field of [[synthetic biology]], which studies entities whose nature is more comparable to [[Life|living things]] than to machines.

Simpler automated machines are called [[automaton]]s, like [[animatronic]]s, often made to resemble humans or animals. [[Humanoid robot]]s that resemble humans esthetically, possibly even  organically, are called [[Android (robot)|android]]s, while android can be shortened to ''droid'', referring to robots with a broader likeness. On the other hand, a human that is augmented with artificial machines is called a [[cyborg]], which is a particular type of [[transhuman]].