Unit 6.2 - robotics

Question 1

State and briefly explain 5 types of robots

Answer 1

1. Industrial robots - automated manufacture of products which performs repetitive tasks like lifting and moving heavy objects, packaging, harvesting, etc. without getting tired or needing to be paid
2. Domestic robots - privately-owned devices that assist day-to-day life; e.g. do chores around the house or help elderly/disabled people around the house without complaint
3. Drones - unmanned aerial vehicles or bring deliveries directly to people’s houses without getting stuck in traffic, don’t pollute the atmosphere and are relatively quiet. They do require strong batteries though.
4. Exploration - robots investigate regions that are unreachable for humans, like the deep sea.
5. Medicine - e.g. help create safer working environments

Question 2

State and explain the 3 main characteristics of robots

Answer 2

1. Mechanical structure/framework
2. Programmable - can follow instructions programmed into their memory.
3. Electrical components - e.g. sensors, microprocessors, actuators, etc

Question 3

7 benefits of robots

Answer 3

1. Can easily lift and move very heavy objects
2. More precise than humans and make mistakes less frequently
3. Can work in dangerous environments/situations
4. Produce consistent results
5. Do not need to be paid a salary
6. Do not take breaks/holidays
7. Don’t complain or quit

Question 4

5 disadvantages of robots

Answer 4

1. Require high initial investment & expensive maintain
2. The mining or producing of materials required for making robots can be environmentally unfriendly
3. Replace human, job loss
4. Need constant power, which means they are expensive to run and the production of this power can be harmful to the environment
5. Potential for cuber attacks

Question 5

Robot definition

Answer 5

Machine that carries out work by itself by following a set of programmed rules

Question 6

Dumb vs smart robots

Answer 6

Dumb - simply repeat same tasks over and over again. E.g. car assembly line
Smart - trained to learn, adapt and carry out progressively more complex tasks. E.g. robot designed to beat a human at chess

Question 7

What is robotics?

Answer 7

A branch of computer science that incorporates the design, construction and operation of robots.

Question 8

Main purpose of robots

Answer 8

To automate human labour, specifically repetitive, dangerous or precise tasks.