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manipulator

muh-NIP-yuh-lay-ter /məˈnɪp.jə.leɪ.tər/

nounC1GRETOEFL

technicalengineering

A mechanical arm or device, typically controlled electronically, used to handle, move, or manipulate materials or tools without direct human contact.

In robotics, this refers specifically to the physical arm structure (links and joints) that positions an end-effector (like a claw or welding torch) in space.

The story behind the word. Traces back to the Latin word manipulus, meaning 'a handful' (from manus, hand, and plere, to fill). It originally referred to manual labor or handling things skillfully by hand, but with the advent of the nuclear age in the 1940s, it was adapted to describe mechanical arms used to handle dangerous materials.

Word relationships

robotic arm: Robotic arm is the common, everyday term, while manipulator is the formal engineering term that includes the mathematical model of the joints.
effector: An effector is the specific tool at the end of the arm (like a gripper), whereas the manipulator is the entire arm assembly.

Commonly confused with

end-effector: The end-effector is the 'hand' or tool at the very end of the arm, while the manipulator is the entire arm mechanism that positions that tool.

Word family

manipulate (verb): To handle or control tool or mechanism with skill.
manipulation (noun): The action of manipulating something.

Collocations

robotic manipulator
remote manipulator
multi-jointed manipulator
manipulator arm

Example sentences

"The space station's robotic manipulator was used to capture the incoming cargo capsule." An article about space station maintenance.
"Operators used a remote manipulator to handle the radioactive isotopes safely behind thick lead glass." A description of hazardous waste cleanup.

Memory hook

A manipulator is a mechanical hand (manus) that handles objects for you. Manipulator = Mechanical hand.

When not to use

Do not confuse with the psychological term 'manipulator' (a person who controls others deceitfully) when writing in a technical or engineering context.

Fun facts

The first industrial robotic manipulator, the Unimate, was installed in a General Motors plant in 1961 to lift hot pieces of die-cast metal.

Related words

kinematics, servo

Explore more words

manipulate, actuator, Manipulation, linkage, automation, mechanize