end effector

[end i-fek-ter]

noun

1. a tool, such as a gripper, vacuum, or drill, affixed to the end of a robotic arm to enable the machine to fulfill a specific purpose.

Word History and Origins

Origin of end effector¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Acaba completed one spacewalk on the mission, to lubricate an end effector and install new cameras on the station’s arm and truss.

From Seattle Times

That will mean that while Baxter comes with a simple hand, or “end effector,” it will be able to adapt the system with more complex and capable hands that will be able to perform tasks that require greater dexterity.

From New York Times

But the trial was scrubbed because of problems with the arm's hand, known in NASAese as an "end effector."

From Time Magazine Archive