Robotics

Q1. a)  Describe what is meant by  Robot  and  Robotics. 

⇒  Robot is an automated machine that can execute specific tasks with little or no human intervention and with speed and precision.

⇒  Robot is capable of sensing its environment, think and take decisions based on preset algorithm, and perform its tasks by moving around its environment.

⇒  Robotics is a branch of computer science that brings together the design, construction, and operation of intelligent mechanical device to perform tasks done traditionally by human beings.

b)  Name the  typical areas where the robot is used. 

1. Industrial manufacturing / Factories.
   - cutting metal parts with high precision; welding parts together; fitting windscreens to cars; spray-painting; pick and place items in warehouse; bottling and labelling beverages.
2. Transport.
   – autonomous cars capable of moving without driver; build vehicles; automated system to load and unload trucks.
3. Agriculture.
   – planting seed; crop harvesting; weed removal; spraying insecticides/pesticides.
4. Health care.
   –telepresence (guide therapy from remote location); surgical assistant (remote-controlled robots assist surgeon with performing operations); sanitation and disinfection robots.
5. Domestic use (household chores).
   – autonomous floor sweepers; autonomous lawn mower; ironing robots; pool cleaning; automatic window cleaners.
6. Drones,
   – unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) take aerial photographs; make parcel deliveries.
7. Entertainment.
   – camera control and the creation of special effects in film making; humanoid robots can perform arts, including dance, music and opera; artificial intelligence can allow robots to compose as well as play music.

Q2.  Describe  three main characteristics  of a robot.

1. Ability to sense their surroundings using sensors.
   Sensors allows a robot to recognise its immediate environment and gives the ability to determine things like size, shape or weight of an object.
2. Ability to move around its environment.
   Make use of motors, gears, pistons, etc., to carry out functions such as turning, twisting, moving backward/forward, gripping or lifting.
3. Perceived Intelligence; think and act using preset algorithm or software which are programmable.
   It should have a ‘brain’ known as controller that determines the action to be taken to perform certain task; controllers are programmable and it relies on data sent from sensors.

Q3. a)  What are the three  elements of robot ? 

1. Mechanical structure.
2. Electrical components.
3. Software which is programmable.

b)  What are the  basic components of industrial robot ? 

1. Sensor : an automatic input device that reads the physical quantities of its surrounding and send signals to the microprocessor or micro-controller of robot.
2. Controller : is a set of Processing unit, RAM, ROM and I/O ports all integrated into a single chip, that serves as the brain of the robot.
3. Robot arm : is similar to human arm which contains a chain of links that are moved over joints which are actuated by motors.
4. End-effector (robot hand) : is a mechanical device attached to the end of the robot arm to perform its task, depending upon the type of its application, like gripper, drill, welding head, paint spray gun, etc.
5. Program : a software that takes logical decision based on the data from sensors and controls the activities of the robot.
6. Power supply : need electricity as energy to function.

Q4.  Robots are used to bottle and label fizzy drinks in a manufacturing company.

a)  Describe how sensors, actuators and microprocessor are used in this bottling plant automatically.

⇒  The bottling plant make use of sensors like, Infra-red light sensor, pressure sensor, level sensor which continuously reads and sends data to the computer (microprocessor).

⇒  The computer compares the data from Infra-red sensor with the stored values to makes sure that a bottle is in place.

⇒  If bottle is in place, then computer sends signal to the actuator to turns ON the fluid control valve.

⇒  The data from a fluid level sensor is checked to see if the bottle is full. When it is full, the computer sends signal to the actuator to turns OFF the fluid control valve and paste label on the bottle.

⇒  These steps are then be repeated for the next bottle.

b)  Give three  (advantages) reasons  why robots are often used in manufacturing industry. 

1. Robots are more consistent in performing repetitive tasks than humans.
   (Consistent – means always behaves in the same way)
2. Robots produces more accurate and high quality products.
3. They can work at a constant high speed, 24/7 without any break.
4. They are capable of working in conditions that may be hazardous to humans.
5. Robots are cost effective in the long run, since they don’t need salaries.

c)  Give three  disadvantages  of using robots in manufacturing industry. 

1. High initial investment cost.
2. Lead humans to lose their job.
3. Perform only few tasks, based on its program.
4. Need frequent maintenance.
5. Need constant power-supply.
6. Require expertise to set them up.

Q5.  A robot has a sensor and a microprocessor. It is designed and programmed to move forward continuously until it detects an object that is less than or equal to 10cm in front of it.

If an object is less than or equal to 10cm in front of it, the robot turns 90 degrees right. It then tries to move forward again.

Explain how the sensor and the microprocessor are used to automate this robot.

⇒  An Infra-red or Proximity sensor continuously reads the distance of objects and send it to microprocessor.

⇒  ADC (analogue to digital converter) is used to convert analogue signal to digital.

⇒  Microprocessor compares the input data with the stored value of 10 cm.

⇒  If the input data is less than or equal to 10cm then microprocessor sends signal to the Actuator to turn 90 degree towards right.

⇒  If the input data is greater than 10cm then microprocessor sends signal to the Actuator to make the robot move forward.

⇒  DAC (digital to analogue converter) is used to convert the digital signal to analogue for the actuator.

⇒  The whole process repeats continuously until the robot is switched OFF.

Q6.  Give three  ways the robots can be used  in medical field and health care. 

1. Surgical assistance.
   Remote controlled robots assist surgeons with performing operations.
2. Tele-assistance.
   Physicians could examine and treat patients in rural or remote location through VoIP and video call, examine patients using robot.
3. Sanitation and disinfection tasks.
   Robots can disinfect a room with deadly virus like Ebola and bacteria.
4. Transport medicines to remote places using Drones.
5. Storage of medicines.
   - facilitate the handling and movement of medicines in warehouse.

Q7.  What are the  two main classification of  physical robots  ?

Physical robots can be classified as independent or dependent :

1. Independent robots are capable to operate automatically without human intervention. It allows to take the place of humans when undertaking dangerous tasks.
   Example : Bomb diffusing robots.
   Deep-sea exploration.
   Factory automation.
2. Dependent robots are non-autonomous robots which interact with human to enhance and supplement their already existing actions.
   Example :
   Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL) is controlled through signals sent from amputated arm of human to perform all its tasks.
   In a car assembly plant, both human and robots work together to produce a car.

Q8.  Describe what is meant by  software robot  with example.

⇒  Software robot is an application, programmed to carry out a series of tasks automatically.

⇒  It possess AI (artificial intelligence) that runs on a host device rather than existing as a standalone machine.

Examples of software robots include;

1. Search engines are also called Bots or Web-crawlers, they roam around the internet, scanning websites, categorising them for search purposes.
2. Chat-bots are programs that pop-up on websites that seem to enter some form of conversation with the web user.
3. Expert system is a program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate the judgement and behavior of a human or an organization that has expertise and experience in a particular field, like medical diagnosis, accounting, coding, gaming, etc.
4. Virtual assistants is an application program that understands natural language voice commands and completes tasks for the user, like Google Assistant, Microsoft’s Cortana, Amazon’s Alexa, etc.

Q9.  The introduction of robots into the transport industry may soon mean that we have access to self-driving cars.

a)  State three  benefits  of autonomous self-driving cars.

1. Easier access to elderly and disabled people with reduced mobility.
2. Reduce accidents - caused by human errors.
3. Improved fuel or cost efficiency – find the short route with less traffic to the destination.
4. Decrease traffic flow – calculate appropriate speed and distances between vehicles during rush hours.
5. Stress-free parking - the car will find appropriate parking place on its own and then self-park.

b)  What  security issues  could be there with self-driving cars ?

1. Hacking risks - Hackers could locate the security flaws and take control over the vehicle.
2. Incorrect judgement of its surroundings could lead to crash.
3. Unexpected malfunctions with software could lead to accidents.
4. Need to be well maintained all the time - cameras need to be kept clean; sensors could fail in heavy rain or snowfall.
5. Danger of fire - Lithium-Ion batteries are well-known to be highly combustible; creates a metal fire with temperatures that reach up to 2,000 degrees Celsius. Attempting to douse the fire with water could lead to a hydrogen gas explosion.

Q10.  Describe  why robots cannot replace humans. 

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) depends on the data provided to it.
2. Artificial Intelligence isn't capable of analyzing context, thinking critically through complicated scenarios, developing complex strategies.
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) machines don’t have emotional intellect.
4. Robots cannot replace humans, but they will make us smarter and more efficient.