6. Automated and emerging technologies Flashcards
What does an automated system usually have?
Comprises of sensors, microprocessors and actuators
What is the purpose of sensors in an automated system?
Takes measurements of their environment
What is the purpose of microprocessors in an automated system?
Processes the information and make decisions based on the readings from the sensor
What is the purpose of actuators in an automated system?
To make physical changes to the environment, like opening a door, shutting a valve or turning on an alarm
What are the advantages of automation?
Fewer people need to be employed
Repetitive tasks carried out with high accuracy and no breaks
Able to work in dangerous environments (industry)
More accurate simulation (gaming)
What are the disadvantages of automation?
People may lose their jobs / have fewer jobs to apply for
Automation can be very dangerous if something goes wrong
It is initially expensive to buy machinery
What are the characteristics of robots?
They have a mechanical structure
They have electrical components (e.g. sensors, microprocessors and actuators)
They are programmable
What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
A branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behaviours by computers
What is robotics?
A branch of computer science that incorporates the design, construction and operation of robots
What are the two systems of AI?
Expert systems
Machine Learning
What are expert systems?
They have a knowledge base, a rule base, an inference engine and an interface
Explain how an expert system would work as a medical diagnoser.
The computer is ‘trained’ by being given the symptoms of hundreds of patients, and their diagnoses (knowledge base)
From this, a set of rules (rule base) can be formulated
A program (inference engine) is used to apply the rules to diagnose a new patient
The interface allows the doctor to interact with the expert system
What is machine learning?
ML is when a program has the ability to automatically adapt to its own processes and/or data
Definition of an automated system
A combination of software and hardware designed and
programmed to work automatically without the need for any human intervention
What are the applications of automated systems (7 of them)
» industrial
» transport
» agriculture
» weather
» gaming
» lighting
» science.
Adv of a DCS in industrial application
» Faster
» Safer
» the process is more likely to run under optimum conditions since any small
changes needed can be identified very quickly and action taken
» in the long run, it is less expensive
> can work 24 hrs no break
Disadv of a DCS in industrial applciation
» expensive to set up
» always possible for a set of conditions to occur that were never considered during
testing
»subject to cyberattacks
» maintenance - expensive.
Adv of a manufacturing automated sys
» much faster
» much safer
» in the long run, it is less expensive
» more efficient use of materials
» higher productivity
» more consistent results.
Disadv of manufacturing automated sys
» expensive to set up
» always possible for a set of conditions to occur that were never considered during
testing
»subject to cyberattacks
» maintenance - expensive.
Adv of auto parking
» allows the same number of cars to use fewer parking spaces
» avoids traffic disruption in cities
» cars can fit into smaller spaces
» fewer dents and scratches to cars (reduced insurance claims)
» safer system since sensors monitor all objects, including young children
» very consistent results.
Disadv of auto parking
» over-reliance on automated systems by the driver (loss of skills)
» faulty/dirty sensors or cameras can send false data/images to the on-board computer which could lead to a malfunction
» kerbing of wheels is a common problem since the sensors may not pick-up low kerbs
» expensive option
» maintenance
Adv of an automatic irrigation system
» reduced labour costs
» better and more efficient control of the irrigation process
» better control of precious resources, such as water
faster response than a human having to manually check many kilometres of irrigation
channels
» safer
» different crops may require different irrigation requirements
Disadv of an automatic irrigation system
» expensive to set up
» maintenance - expensive.
Adv of automated weather system
Ability to provide real-time weather data.
Consistent and standardized data collection.
Reduction in human error and bias.
Ability to track weather patterns and make long-term forecasts
Reduced labour costs - only need 1 supervisor
Track weather data 24x7
Disadv of automated weather system
Expensive to set up
Expensive to maintain
Falty/dirty sensors can lead to innacurate weather data
Vulnerability to hacking and cyber attacks.
Limitations in the ability to detect rare or unique weather events.
Adv of immersive gaming controllers
disadv
better user experience
diasdv
High cost of the hardware and associated accessories.
Adv of a lighting system
» it is possible to control light sources automatically
» a reduced energy consumption
» wireless connections can be chosen which are much safer
» longer bulb life
» possible to program new light displays for various occasions.
Disadv of a lighting system,
expensive to set up
maintenance
Adv of using automated systems in science
» more consistent (repeatable) results
» less dangerous
» faster results - experiments can be done simul
» automatic analysis of the results is possible
» fewer highly trained staff needed for each experiment
» results/experiments can be monitored anywhere in the world in real time.