Glossary · Control
Compliance
In brief
Compliance is the ability of a robot to "give" under external force rather than rigidly resist it. A compliant robot is safer to work alongside, less likely to damage objects on contact, and tolerant of minor positioning errors during manipulation.
Compliance can be mechanical (springs, soft surfaces, intentionally low gear ratios) or controlled (impedance control, force feedback). Most modern humanoids combine both: harmonic-drive joints with intentional series-elasticity, plus impedance-control loops on top.
Compliance is the difference between a robot that snaps a teacup when its IK solver is off by a millimeter and one that gently absorbs the contact and corrects. For humanoids working alongside humans, sufficient compliance is also a hard safety requirement.
Related terms
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Glossary entries are upstream. The catalog is where the implementations live.