# Core Concepts

> Understand the fundamental concepts of Wandelbots NOVA API including controllers, motion groups, virtual robots, and the relationship between them.

Core concepts of the Wandelbots NOVA API form the building blocks for working with Wandelbots NOVA.

Read about robotics terminology and concepts that Wandelbots NOVA assumes you know.

[Robotics basics](/nova/26.7/nova-api/core-concepts/robotics-basics)

Explore the unified controller interface that simplifies interaction with different controllers.

[Controller interface](/nova/26.7/nova-api/core-concepts/unified-controller-interface)

Learn more about the three building blocks that structure robot systems in NOVA.

[Cells, controllers and motion groups](/nova/26.7/nova-api/core-concepts/cells-controllers-motion-groups)

Learn how NOVA persists taught poses and coordinate frames as datasets, and how to resolve and localize poses through a dataset's frame hierarchy.

[Datasets](/nova/26.7/nova-api/core-concepts/datasets)

Discover how NOVA handles collision-free movements through its collision handling mechanisms.

[Collision handling](/nova/26.7/nova-api/core-concepts/collision-handling)

Learn how to constrain the orientation of the robot's [TCP](/nova/26.7/nova-api/core-concepts/robotics-basics#tool-center-point-tcp-and-payload) during motion planning, for example to keep a cup upright or a vacuum gripper facing downwards.

[Direction constraint](/nova/26.7/nova-api/core-concepts/direction-constraint)