Glossary
Short definitions for the words that show up in a robot quote. Last updated 29 September 2026.
- Robot as a Service (RaaS)
- AMR
- AGV
- Cobot
- LiDAR
- SLAM
- Autonomous floor scrubber
- Docking station
- Fleet management
- Payback period
- Operating lease
- Total cost of ownership
Robot as a Service (RaaS)
Robot as a Service is a monthly plan for a commercial robot. The fee is meant to cover the machine and the work of keeping it running, so the cost is an operating expense rather than a large upfront purchase. RoboMercato quotes RaaS with installation and UK service included.
AMR
An autonomous mobile robot navigates a building with sensors and a map, rather than a fixed track. It can stop for people and take a new route when the floor layout changes. Warehouses use AMRs to move totes, carts and pallets.
AGV
An automated guided vehicle follows a set path, often tape, wire or reflectors. It is predictable on a route that rarely changes, and less flexible when the building is rearranged. Many sites compare an AGV with an AMR before they buy.
Cobot
A collaborative robot is an arm designed to work near people, with force limits that stop it on contact. It is used for repetitive tasks such as packing, machine tending and light assembly, usually without a full safety cage.
LiDAR
LiDAR measures distance with laser pulses and builds a picture of the room. Cleaning robots and AMRs use it to know where walls, legs and trolleys are, so they can clean or drive without a person steering.
SLAM
Simultaneous localisation and mapping is how a robot builds a map and works out where it is on that map at the same time. It is the reason an autonomous scrubber can repeat a route after a single teaching run.
Autonomous floor scrubber
An autonomous floor scrubber puts down water, scrubs, and picks the dirty water up, without someone walking behind it. It is the usual machine when a site wants a commercial cleaning robot for large hard floors.
Docking station
A dock is the home base a robot returns to. Cleaning docks may refill water, empty the dirty tank and charge the battery. The survey checks there is space, power and, where needed, a water supply.
Fleet management
Fleet software shows where each robot is, what it has cleaned or carried, and when it needs a person. Supervisors use it to change zones and schedules without reprogramming the robot on the floor.
Payback period
Payback is how long the savings take to cover the cost of the robot. On cleaning and warehouse jobs it is often talked about in months, not years. The honest figure uses your wages, hours and the quote, not a generic example.
Operating lease
An operating lease is a way to pay for a robot over a term without buying it outright at the start. It sits between a purchase and a full Robot as a Service plan. The quote should say who maintains the machine.
Total cost of ownership
Total cost of ownership is the purchase or rental plus installation, consumables, power, service and the staff time still needed. A low sticker price can be expensive if maintenance and downtime are left out.