IGCSEs > Computers πŸ’» | Robotics | 6.2 > Flashcards

Computers πŸ’» | Robotics | 6.2 Flashcards

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1
Q

Define robotics

A

Robotics is a branch of computer science that
incorporates the design, construction and
operation of robots

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2
Q

Define robot

A

A mechanical device that can carry out tasks normally done by humans

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3
Q

Give examples of areas where robots are used.

A
  • Industry
  • Transport
  • Agriculture
  • Medicine
  • Domestic
  • Entertainment
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4
Q

List some examples of factory robots / functions

A
  • Welding parts together
  • Spray-painting panels on a car
  • Fitting windscreens to cars
  • Cutting out metal partst to a high precision
  • Bottling and labeling plants
  • Warehouses (automatic location of items)
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5
Q

List some examples of domestic robots

A
  • Autonomous floor sweepers
  • Autonomous lawn mower
  • Ironing robots
  • Pool cleaner
  • Automatic window cleaner
  • Entertainment (‘friend’ robots)
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6
Q

List some examples of how robotics can be used in drones

A
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are drones that are either remotely controlled or totally autonomous using embedded systems
  • Can be used in reconnaisance
  • Can be used to make parcel deliveries
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7
Q

What are the characteristics of a robot?

A
  1. Ability to sense their surroundings
  2. Have a degree of movement
  3. Programmable
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8
Q

How do robots have an ability to sense their surroundings?

A

Via sensors, which determine the physical environment and sends data to microprocessors

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9
Q

How do robots use mechanical structures to have a degree of movement?

A

They can make use of motors, wheels, cogs, pistons, gears, etc., to carry out fuctions such as turning, twisting, moving backwards/forwards, gripping, lifting

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10
Q

Define autonomous

A

Able to operate independently without any human input

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11
Q

Define controller

A

A microprocessor that is in control of a process

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12
Q

What makes a robot programmable?

A

The controller - which determines the action to be taken to perform acertain task, and is also programmable

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13
Q

Do all robots have AI?

A

No. Many do repetitive tasks

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14
Q

What are the two types of physical robots?

A

Independent and Dependent

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15
Q

Describe an independent robot

A
  • Has no direct human control
  • Can replace the human activity completely
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16
Q

Describe a dependent robot

A
  • Has a human directly interacting with the robot
  • Can supplement rather than totally replace the human activity
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17
Q

What are the two ways that a robot is programmed in industrial applications?

A
  1. Wth a sequence of instructions allowing it to carry out the tasks
  2. A human operator either guiding a robot arm, each movement stores; or a worker’s movements stored and replicated by a robot
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18
Q

What are the advantages of robots in industry?

A
  • Capable of working in conditions hazardous for humans
  • Work 24/7 without need to stop
  • Less expensive in the long run
  • More productive than humans
  • More consistent
  • Better suited to boring repetitive tasks than humans
  • Less costs in heating and lighting
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19
Q

What are the disadvantages of robots in industry?

A
  • Robots may find it difficult to do non-standard tasks
  • Leads to higher unemployment
  • Risk of deskilling when robots take over certain taks
  • Factories can be moved anywhere in the world where operation costs are lower, leading to unemployment and explotation
  • Expensive to buy and set up
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20
Q

What are robots used for in transport?

A

To create automated vehicles

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21
Q

What are the advantages of autonomous vehicles?

A
  • Safer since human error is removed; fewer accidents
  • Better for environments due to higher efficiency
  • Reduced traffic congestion
  • Increased lane capacity
  • Reduced travel times
  • Stress-free parking
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22
Q

What are the disadvantages of autonomous vehicles?

A
  • Very expensive due to high tech requirements
  • Fear of hacking into the control system
  • Security and safety issues; fear of glitches
  • The need to maintain the system well, keeping sensors clean
  • Driver and passenger reluctance
  • Unemployment if there are less taxis
  • Many philosophical moral dilemnas
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23
Q

What is the system autonomous trains make use of?

A

LiDaR

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24
Q

Define LiDaR

A

A contraction of light detection and ranging; the use of lasers to build up a 3D image of surroundings

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25
What are the advantages of autonomous trains?
- Improves train puncutality - Reduced running costs - Improved safety - Minimised energy consumption - Increased frequency of trains - Easier to change train scheduling
26
What are the disadvantages of autonomous trains?
- Ever-present fear of hacking into control system - System doesnt work well with very busy services - High capital and operational costs - Ensuring good passenger behavioris acceptable in busy times - Passenger relucatance - No drivers; need for CCTV
27
What are some features that autonomous airplanes may have?
- Sensors to detect turbulence to ensure smooth flight - Increase in self-testing of all circuits and systems - Sensors to automatically detect depressurisation in cabin - Use of GPS for navigation and speed calculations - Use of actuators to control wings, throttle, flaps
28
What are the advantages of pilotless airplanes?
- Improves passenger comfort - Reduced running costs - Improved safety - Improves aerodynamics at front; no cockpit
29
What are the disadvantages of pilotless airplanes?
- Inability to handle terrorism - Emergency situations tough to handle - Hacking into system fear - Passenger reluctance - Software glitches
30
List five areas where robotics could play a big role in agriculture?
- Harvesting/picking of vegetables and fruit - Weed control - Phenotyping - plant growth and health - Seed-planting and fertiliser distribution - Autonomous labour-saving devices
31
How can robots be beneficial in harvesting and picking?
- More accurate - Faster at harvesting - Only pick crops that are ripe
32
How can robots be beneficial in weed control?
- Distinguishing between weeds and crops using AI - Use of GPS allows them to stay on course - More accurate
33
Define *phenotyping*
The process of observing the physical characteristics of a plant to assess its health and growth
34
What are the benefits of phenotyping?
- Sensors that create 3D images help with monitoring plant health and growth - Machine learning allows it to recognise issues with leaves - More accurate and faster than manual
35
What are the benefits of seed-planting drones?
- Drones provide and aerial image of a farm, sending a bird's eye view to the farmer - Allows seed-planting to be done more efficiently - More efficient fertiliser-spreading - Drones can add silver iodide crystals to a cloud forcing it to give up rainwater
36
List some of the devices that can be used in automated agriculture.
- Grass mowers/cutters - Weeding, pruning, and harvesting robots - Seeding robots - Fertiliser spraying
37
List examples in medicine where robots are used.
- Surgical procedures - Monitoring patients - Disinfecting rooms - Taking blood samples - Target theraphy - Prosthetic limbs
38
What are the benefits of using robots in surgical procedures?
- Safer - Quicker - Less costly
39
What are the benefits of the use of robots in blood sampling?
- Less painful as the robot is better at determining a good vein - Safer to doctors and nurses if the patient has an infectious disease - Doctors and nurses can be freed up to do more skilled work
40
How are robots used in target therapy?
Microbots use microscopic mechanical components to localise a drug or other therapy to target a specific site causing less damage to surrounding tissue
41
List some examples of domestic robots
- Autonomous vacuum cleaners - Autonomous grass cutters - Personal assisstants
42
What are the benefits of auto vacuum cleaners and autonomous grass cutters?
- Use of proximity sensors and cameras to avoid bumping into obstacles - Automatic - User can program the device
43
What are personal assistants?
Tobots controlled by a microprocessor the uses cloud connectivity and understands voice controls, and uses an HD camera to navigate a room and recognise faces
44
What are two areas where robots are used in entertainment?
- Entertainment parks and areas - Film and TV industry
45
How are robots used in theme parks?
Robots may dress as cartoon characters to interact with visitors and entertain them
46
How are robots used in music festivals?
- Robotic methods control lighting - Visual effects - Animation
47
How are robots used in filming?
- To control cameras and keep them steady - Humanoid robots to perform stunts - Producing special effects with precision
48
Define AI
Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behaviours by computers
49
Describe the main characteristics of AI
- The collection of data and the rules for using the data - The ability to reason - The ability to learn and adapt
50
What are the two types of AI? | (in our syllabus because thats all we should care about)
- Expert system - Machine learning
51
Define expert system
A form of AI that has been developed to mimic human knowledge and experiences
52
What are the advantages of an expert system?
- High expertise - High accuracy - Consistent results - Ability to store vast amount of ideas and facts - Tracable logical solutions - Can have multiple expertise - Fast response times - Unbiased
53
What are the disadvantages of expert systems?
- Users need considerabl training for proper usage - High maintainence and setup costs - Can give 'cold' responses - Only as good as the information in the systems - Users may assume they are infallible
54
What are the parts of an expert system?
- User interface - Inference engine - Knowledge base - Rules base
55
What is a User interface in an expert system?
Method by which the expert system interacts with a user
56
How does a user interface usually work in an expert system?
- Through dialogue boxes, command prompts, other input methods - Questions usually only have yes/no answers
57
Define inference engine
A kind of search engine used in an expert system which examines the knowledge base for information that matches the queries
58
How does an inference engine work in an expert system?
- Examining the knowledge base for information which matches the queries - Gathers information from the user allowing each question asked to be based on the previous answers
59
Define inference rules
Rules used by the inference engine and in expert systems to draw conclusions using IF statements
60
Define knowledge base
A repository of facts which is a collection of objects and attributes
61
A knowledge base consists of ... and their ...
*objects* and their *attributes*
62
What is a rules base?
A set of inference rules used by the inference engine to draw conclusions, following logical thinking
63
Define *object*
An item stored in the knowledge base
64
Define *attribute*
Something that deffines the objects stored in a knowledge base
65
From where is information gathered for an expert system?
From human experts or from written sources, used to populate the knowledge base
66
What things have to be set up before an expert system is released?
- Populating knowledge base - Creating rules base - Setting up inference engine - Developing UI - Testing system fully
67
Define machine learning
A sub-set of AI in which algorithms are trained and learn from past experiences and examples
68
What is the difference between AI and Machine Learning?
- AI represents simulated human intellingence im machines - Machine learning is the practice of getting machiens to make decisions without being programmed to do so
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