Meaning & use
servo motor
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
An electric motor linked to a sensor and controller that constantly checks its position and corrects it, so it can turn to an exact angle or speed.
Grammar: A normal countable noun: a servo motor, two servo motors.
Patterns
- servo motor for something
- a servo motor controls something
The robot's elbow is moved by a small servo motor that stops at exactly ninety degrees.
Each wheel of the drone gimbal has its own servo motor to keep the camera level.
He replaced the broken servo motor in the 3D printer's lifting arm.
Word forms
| plural | servo motors |
|---|
Common combinations
- drive a servo motor
- A tiny chip can drive a servo motor from a battery.
- control a servo motor
- You can control a servo motor with just three wires.
- servo motor controller
- The servo motor controller reads the sensor thousands of times a second.
- stepper or servo motor
- Engineers chose a servo motor instead of a stepper because the load changed often.
- servo motor feedback
- Without servo motor feedback the arm would drift out of position.
Synonyms and how they differ
- servo
- This is the everyday short form among hobbyists and engineers, and means the same thing.
- actuator
- This is a wider word for any part that causes movement, including hydraulic ones, not just feedback-controlled electric motors.
- stepper motor
- This is a different type that moves in fixed steps without feedback, so it is not a true synonym.
Word family
Commonly confused: servo motor or stepper motor?
servo motor vs stepper motor
A stepper motor moves in fixed steps and usually has no position sensor, while a servo motor checks and corrects its own position.
Practice
What makes a servo motor different from an ordinary motor?
Choose one answer.
A servo motor uses feedback from a sensor to reach an exact position. The other options are not defining features.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “servo motor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.