A tribometer is an instrument that measures tribological quantities, such as coefficient of friction, friction force, and wear volume, between two surfaces in contact. It was invented by the 18th century Dutch scientist Musschenbroek
A tribotester is the general name given to a machine or device used to perform tests and simulations of wear, friction and lubrication which are the subject of the study of tribology. Often tribotesters are extremely specific in their function and are fabricated by manufacturers who desire to test and analyze the long-term performance of their products. An example is that of orthopedic implant manufactures who have spent considerable sums of money to develop tribotesters that accurately reproduce the motions and forces that occur in human hip joints so that they can perform accelerated wear tests of their products.