stop-and-go robot
nounUK /ˌstɒp ən ˈɡəʊ ˈrəʊbɒt/
US /ˌstɑːp ən ˈɡoʊ ˈroʊbɑːt/
A stop-and-go robot is a toy robot that moves a little, stops, and then moves again.
The little stop-and-go robot beeped and rolled across the floor in short bursts.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A traffic-control robot that signals vehicles to stop and go.
The stop-and-go robot waved cars through the crossing one at a time.
3. A robot that alternates between working and pausing in a repeating cycle.
The stop-and-go robot on the assembly line paused after every third part.
4. A playful name for a person or machine that keeps changing speed or direction.
Our bus was a real stop-and-go robot today, jerking forward at every light.