Open Source Software
- Software where the source code is available.
- Lots of people working on it,testing each other’s code.
Bespoke Software
- Closed software created for a client.
- Developers contracted to create/maintain software.
- Support period in contract.
Closed Software
- Can be free, with ad-free/pro versions available.
GNU GPL
- General Public Licence.
- Ensures that software released open source is kept free.
Off-The-Shelf Software
- Generic/Multipurpose software.
Bespoke v. Off-The-Shelf
BESPOKE:
- Solves specific problem.
- Expensive.
- Development could take long time.
- Potentially more bugs.
OFF-THE-SHELF:
- Ready-made. Might solve problem exactly.
- End user pays less.
- Available immediately.
- More users = more testing = more bug fixes.
Weather Forecasting
- Wants to predict weather as far in advance as possible.
- Data is collected to record rainfall, humidity, temp, air pressure, wind speed, direction.
- Data used to create a numerical record of atmosphere, which can track real world.
- Data must be processed quickly/requires historical comparison.
- Supercomputer used due to mass volumes of data.
CAD
- CAD is the process of designing a product on a computer and testing it using simulations.
- Most mass produced products are manufactured this way as it reduces chance of faulty products, therefore wasted time/money/resources.
- CAD enables developers to try different designs, scale parts, change colours, and run safety simulations.
CAD Advantages/Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES:
- Products exactly the same.
- Potential 24/7 assembly lines.
- Consistent rate of production.
DISADVANTAGES:
- Expensive to set up.
- Delays to production (maintenance, errors)
Automation/Robotics
- Control of something in a physical environment by some form of computing system.
- Sensors gather input, provide feedback to the controller about the environment, and use actuators to produce output.
- The controller processes the data given to help determine further actions.
- This process continues in a feedback loop.
Common Types of Sensors
- Pressure sensor
- Accelerometers sensor
- Luminance sensor
- Humidity sensor
- Infrared sensor
Robotics Advanatges/Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES:
- Faster work line.
- Removes risk to human life.
- Reduced cost of workforce.
- Precise, constant work.
- Stronger than human work.
DISADVANTAGES:
- Expensive.
-Human replacement issues.
- Malfunction/Maintenance staff needed.
- Specialised staff operate system.
- Ethical concerns. Military use?
Computer Generated Graphics and Animation
- 2D images produced by using drawing packages.
- 3D animation produced in modelling software.
- Animation software includes models for how something moves to make the animation smooth/realistic as possible.
Expert Systems
- A user enters information they have and the system infers an answer.
- If it cannot, it requests more information.
- This repeats until the system is confident in its reponse or has exhausted all possible options.
- An application of artificial intelligence.
- Used for narrow fields of knowledge. (knowledge domain of the system.)
Knowledge Base
- Database containing expert knowledge.
Inference Engine
- Will attempt to answer a user’s query using the base rule.
- Interrogates the knowledge base and draws inferences based on the rules stored.
- Poses questions to the user and takes the answer to produce a suitable response.
Rule Base
- Links knowledge together through rules.
User Interface
- Allows user to communicate with the system.
Knowledge Inquisition
- Initial stage of building an expert system.
- Knowledge of the expert is built into the system. Can be stored as IF-THEN-ELSE rules.
Heuristic Knowledge
- Captures information about accurate judgements and the ability to estimate value.
- Not derived from logic alone, but human experience.
- Designed to work with uncertainty.
