Which robot type requires only movement back and forth in a straight line to pick up and move objects along a path from one position to another?

• A. articulated
• B. cartesian
• C. pick and place
• D. polar

Answer: (C)

The key idea is straight-line, or rectilinear, motion. A Cartesian robot moves using linear actuators along three perpendicular axes, so its motion is confined to straight lines. This makes it well-suited for a task where the end effector (like a gripper) repeatedly reaches out, grabs an object, travels along a straight path, and places the object at another position. The phrase “pick up and move along a path” fits this behavior, since the robot primarily travels back and forth in straight-line segments to complete the transfer.

Other robot types rely on rotary joints or more complex motions: articulated robots bend through multiple joints to reach around obstacles; polar or cylindrical types combine rotation with some linear movement, producing curved or mixed paths. The operation-focused term “pick and place” describes the task rather than the motion scheme, so it doesn’t inherently specify a straight-line, Cartesian motion profile.