Hysteresis

A control technique in which a different threshold is used for triggering a state change versus releasing it. For obstacle avoidance, a trigger threshold of 0.5 m and a release threshold of 0.65 m means the robot starts turning when the sector drops below 0.5 m but only resumes forward motion when it rises above 0.65 m, preventing rapid oscillation near the boundary.

The energy loss that occurs when a material or mechanism is loaded and then unloaded, where the unloading path does not exactly retrace the loading path, causing some fraction of the input energy to be dissipated as heat rather than returned. Hysteresis is the physical reason no real elastic energy storage element returns one hundred percent of the energy it absorbs.

The difference in sensor reading between loading and unloading through the same force level, caused by internal friction in the elastic structure. Limits repeatability in cyclically loaded applications. Expressed as a percentage of full-scale output.

A joint's condition in which its response to a given input (such as tendon displacement) differs depending on the direction of motion or the joint's recent history, commonly caused by friction in a tendon or cable's routing through pulleys or channels.

The property of a system where its current output depends not only on its current input but also on its past inputs or loading history. Soft actuators commonly exhibit hysteresis, which makes them harder to model and control precisely than rigid systems with simpler, history-independent responses.