6.2 robotics

Question 1

What is robotics

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What is a robot

Answer 2

mechanical device that can carry out tasks normally done by humans

Question 3

3 places robots can be found

Answer 3

factories
homes
drones

Question 4

Where can robots be found in factories

Answer 4

– welding parts together
– spray-painting panels on a car
– fitting windscreens to cars
– cutting out metal parts to a high precision
– bottling and labelling plants
– warehouses (automatic location of items)

Question 5

Where can robots be found in homes

Answer 5

– autonomous floor sweepers
– autonomous lawn mower
– ironing robots
– pool cleaning
– automatic window cleaners
– entertainment

Question 6

Define autonomous

Answer 6

able to operate independently without any human input

Question 7

Where can robots be found in drones

Answer 7

unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are drones that are either remotely controlled or totally autonomous using embedded systems

– can be used in reconnaissance (eg taking aerial photographs)

– can be used to make parcel deliveries

Question 8

Adv of robots in industry

Answer 8

robots are capable of working in conditions that may be hazardous
to humans

robots work 24/7 without the need to stop

robots are less expensive in the long run

more productive

more consistent

better suited to boring repetitive tasks

Question 9

Disadv of robots in industry

Answer 9

robots can lead to higher unemployment amongst manual labour tasks

Deskilling labour

Expensive to buy

Maintenance

Question 10

Adv of autonomous vehicles

Answer 10

Safer

Better for environment

Stress free parking - self parking

increased lane capacity due to better braking and acceleration responses together with optimized distance between vehicles

Question 11

Disadv of autonomous vehicles

Answer 11

Expensive to set up
Maintenance
cyber attacks
unemployment - less taxis needed

Question 12

Adv of autonomous trains

Answer 12

Improved punctuality

reduced costs

safety improves

minimises energy consumption

it is possible to increase the frequency of trains

it is easier to change train scheduling

Question 13

Disadv of autonomous trains

Answer 13

Cyber attacks

Expensive to set up initially

unemploment

Question 14

Adv of autonomous planes

Answer 14

improved passenger comfort

reduced running costs

improved safety - less human error

less fuel consumption because of the improved aerodynamics

Question 15

Disadv of autonomous planes

Answer 15

hacking

software glithces could lead to death

Question 16

5 areas in agriculture where robots can play a large role

Answer 16

»harvesting/picking of vegetables and fruit
»weed control
»phenotyping (plant growth and health)
»seed-planting and fertiliser distribution
»autonomous labour-saving devices.

Question 17

how can robots be used for harvesting

Answer 17

More accurate - only pick ripe fruit

pick fruit without damaging it

Higher yields and reduced waste

Question 18

How does a weed control robot stay on path

why is a drone used

Answer 18

GPS tracking

used first to do an aerial view of the vineyard, so that a programmed course of action can be produced, which is then sent to the weed control robot’s memory.

Question 19

What is phenotyping

Answer 19

the process of observing the physical characteristics of a plant to assess its health and growth

Question 20

how do robots phenotype

Answer 20

»robots designed to do phenotyping are equipped with sensors (including spectral sensors and thermal cameras) that can create a 3D image/model of the plant, thus allowing it to be monitored for health and growth

Question 21

What actions do microprocessors do in autonomous cars

Answer 21

»change gear
»apply the brakes
»turn the steering wheel.

Question 22

How are robots used for seed planting and fertilisier distribution

Answer 22

drones can produce an aerial image of a farm sending back a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the crops and land. they allow seed-planting to be done far more accurately

»they also allow for more efficient fertiliser-spreading to reduce waste and improve coverage

cloud seeding

Question 23

what are the autonomous agriculture devices

Answer 23

»grass mowers/cutters
»weeding, pruning and harvesting robots
»seeding robots
»fertiliser spraying

Question 24

How are robots used in medicine

Answer 24

»robots are used in surgical procedures, which makes the operation safer and also makes the procedures quicker and less costly

» robots can be used from monitoring patients to doing actual minor surgery

»robots can take blood samples from patients:
– less painful to patients since 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

Question 25

where are robots used in entertainment

Answer 25

theme parks are now using autonomous robots to entertain visitors to the park

music festivals are much more immersive for the audience

»humanoid robots can perform ‘stunt’ action in movies/ television

Question 26

3 characteristics of robot

Answer 26

• a mechanical structure or framework

– electrical components, such as sensors, microprocessors and actuators

– programmable

Question 27

3 domestic robots

Answer 27

autonomous vacuum cleaners

autonomous grass cutters

personal assistants