Today's robotics systems function by way of hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical power and end effectors. Electric motors have become increasingly smaller, with high power-to-weight ratios, permitting them to become the leading means by which robots are power-driven.

Robots are consisting of various different elements, depending on their concern. The hand of a robot, for instance, is referred to in the industry as an "end effector." End effectors may be specialized equipment, such as spot welders or spray guns, or more general-purpose grippers. Common grippers comprise fingered and vacuum types. Another important element of robotics control technology is the sensor. It is through sensors that a robotic system accepts the knowledge of its environment, to which subsequent actions of the robot can be accommodated. Sensors are used to empower a robot to adjust to variations in the position of objects to be picked up, to examine objects, and to monitor proper operation (though some robots are able to adjust to variations in object placement without the practice of sensors, until and unless they have sufficient end effector flexibility). Significant sensor types comprise visual, force and torque, speed and acceleration, tactile, and distance sensors. The majority of industrial robots implement simple binary sensing, analogous to an on/off switch. This does not allow sophisticated feedback to the robot as to how successfully an operation was achieved. Lack of sufficient feedback also often requires the use of guides and fixtures to constrain the motions of a robot via an operation, which suggests substantial inflexibility in altering operations.

Robots which comprise wafer end effectors are encoded either by guiding or by off-line programming. Most industrial robots are planned by the former method. This encompasses manually guiding a robot from point to point through the phases of function, with each point garnered in the robotic control system.