Glossary

A reference for terms used across Cogninoid Labs. Terms are grouped by domain.

Software & Web

Repository (repo) — A project folder tracked by Git. Contains the full history of every file change.

Commit — A saved snapshot of your code at a specific point in time. Includes a message describing what changed.

Branch — A parallel version of your repository. Work on a branch without affecting main.

Deployment — The process of taking your built code and making it available on the internet via a hosting provider.

Environment variable — A configuration value stored outside your code (e.g., API keys). Set in .env files locally, and in hosting provider settings for production.

Build — The process of compiling and optimising your code for production. In Next.js: npm run build.

TypeScript — A typed superset of JavaScript that catches errors at compile time instead of runtime.

MDX — Markdown extended with JSX. Write rich documentation with embedded interactive components.

AI & Agents

AI coding agent — An AI system with tool access that can read and edit files, run commands, and complete multi-step coding tasks.

Vibe coding — Writing code by accepting AI output without verification, review, or understanding. Produces fast results that often break in unpredictable ways.

Verifiable building — The practice of confirming every change works correctly before moving on. Every step produces an observable, checkable result.

Inference — Running a trained AI model to produce output. Distinct from training.

Fine-tuning — Adapting a pre-trained model to a specific task using a smaller, domain-specific dataset.

Electronics & Hardware

GPIO — General Purpose Input/Output. Pins on a microcontroller that can be set HIGH or LOW programmatically.

PWM — Pulse Width Modulation. A way to simulate analogue output using digital pins by rapidly switching between HIGH and LOW.

I2C — A two-wire communication protocol (SDA + SCL) for connecting multiple sensors and devices to a microcontroller.

SPI — Serial Peripheral Interface. A four-wire communication protocol, faster than I2C but uses more pins.

IMU — Inertial Measurement Unit. A sensor that measures acceleration, rotation rate, and sometimes magnetic field.

PID controller — Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller. A feedback control algorithm that reduces error between a desired state and measured state.

Debounce — Filtering out noise from mechanical switches that briefly flicker between states when pressed.

Robotics

End effector — The tool at the tip of a robotic arm — gripper, welding torch, camera, etc.

Degrees of freedom (DoF) — The number of independent joint axes in a robotic system. More DoF = more flexibility.

Inverse kinematics (IK) — Computing joint angles given a desired end effector position.

SLAM — Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping. Building a map of an environment while simultaneously tracking position within it.

Actuator — A component that creates physical motion — servo motor, DC motor, solenoid, pneumatic cylinder.