Collective term for driving, flying and walking systems/hardware?

Question

Not sure if this is the correct place to ask but it is about the English language.

I am looking for a collective word that describes the movement hardware for a robot. I am making a game where the player can equip it's own type of movement hardware and I want to name the slot. So whether the player equips legs, wheels, tracks or thrusters the name of the slot they are put in must be fitting. I'd prefer a cool sci-fi or cyberpunk name.

Movingnessicalityism sounds nice. Or you could go with motion sickness configuration slot. — Drew, Jul 18 '15 at 05:41

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 17 '15 at 22:19

4

I wouldn't consider it a sexy word, but locomotion fits the bill

Locomotion:

-OED

-Webster's

There's this to consider, as well: Robot locomotion

answered Jul 17 '15 at 22:19

kayleeFrye_onDeck

891

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This actually describes it perfectly i'm just not really liking the word itself. – Madmenyo Jul 17 '15 at 22:40
@MennoGouw - Ah, but it comes with such a cool song. – Hot Licks Jul 18 '15 at 03:40
@HotLicks come on then, let's do the locomotion! I should get the rights to use that song then :). – Madmenyo Jul 18 '15 at 09:24
@MennoGouw I agree wholeheartedly. It's the perfect word for what you're looking for, but I wouldn't use it myself, either. I can do some snooping and maybe looking into some archaic English, or maybe Latin or Greek. – kayleeFrye_onDeck Jul 21 '15 at 19:17
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No that's ok thank you. I went for Mobility items and Mobility Slots. ;) – Madmenyo Jul 21 '15 at 19:46

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 17 '15 at 22:34

1

A word that implies the robot is alive: motility

Noun 1. Biology Moving or having the power to move spontaneously

Motility is a common word in robotics: https://www.google.com/search?q=robot+motility

answered Jul 17 '15 at 22:34

Avon

5,258

I like the word but it's not about moving spontaneously or being alive. A much more fitting word would be mobility, does not fit my question completely but I like the word. Cannot believe I did not think about that word. – Madmenyo Jul 17 '15 at 22:44
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I'm guessing most people associate "motility" with pooping. – Hot Licks Jul 18 '15 at 03:41
@HotLicks Only if the motility hardware was a solid fuel rocket in the posterior position. – Avon Jul 18 '15 at 10:50
@Avon - http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/gastric+motility – Hot Licks Jul 18 '15 at 12:37
@HotLicks I am aware of the usage. – Avon Jul 18 '15 at 13:54
It's not a term one would want to use in advertising. – Hot Licks Jul 18 '15 at 16:56
@HotLicks Unavoidable if it was the name of your company I'm afraid: http://www.motilerobotics.com/ – Avon Jul 18 '15 at 17:47

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 18 '15 at 03:17

1

Instead of "mobility," which has a Latin derivation, you could go with a word from the Greek, "kinetic," meaning related to movement. The Greek word is kinetikos. I'm no expert, but it sounds like you could cyberpunk that up somehow.

answered Jul 18 '15 at 03:17

deadrat

44,678

I'm already using kinetic for damage types. But I could change that maybe. After a night sleep I am kinda fond of using mobility though. – Madmenyo Jul 18 '15 at 09:26

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 18 '15 at 04:15

1

Directionals Damaged. Initiating Repairs.

relating to or indicating the direction in which someone or something is situated, moving, or developing. -Google

It's an adjective but hey, it sounds cool.

answered Jul 18 '15 at 04:15

Mazura

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score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 18 '15 at 04:18

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How about archexile, from the combinative form 'arch-' in the sense of leader, and 'exile' in the usual verb sense, sidestepping 'exilarch' (a leader in or during exile) in favor of 'a leader into exile'?

Seems cool and cyberpunkish to me: "Put your whatsit into the archexile slot!"

answered Jul 18 '15 at 04:18

JEL

32,781

That is good thinking out of the box. Yet it's kind of vague as to what it refers to. – Madmenyo Jul 18 '15 at 09:31
@MennoGouw, Riffing on locomotive/locomotion from the answer above, how about locodynamic or locodynamo? – JEL Jul 19 '15 at 07:00
Both decent suggestions, locodynamic sounds good but might be a bit of a vague term until users know what it does. Have to think about it, thanks. – Madmenyo Jul 19 '15 at 08:06

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 18 '15 at 04:30

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Often times hardware used to move a machine are called "traction" - e.g. batteries used for locomotion are called "traction packs." Your robot is moving on or through a tangential surface or material, so this would be appropriate. Traction Equipment might fit the bill.

answered Jul 18 '15 at 04:30

Tim

156

But Traction Equipment does not relate to the thrusters of a robot in flight. – Madmenyo Jul 18 '15 at 09:29

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Jul 21 '15 at 19:43

Even though locomotion is the word that fits the bill, I propose a two word combination as an alternative for your specific scenario of it being used for a video game, as locomotion just isn't suitable. I've seen this terminology used in video games before, though I cannot pinpoint where, exactly.

Kinetic actuation

Kinetic actuator

Kinetic actuators

Collective term for driving, flying and walking systems/hardware?

7 Answers7