5. Functions of Robots

5. Functions of Robots

1. What is meant by 'Degrees of freedom'? Ensure you include a diagram to highlight your understanding. (p. 253)

Degrees of freedom means the number of different ways an appendage can pivot with the term relating to the amount of movement in which an appendage is built. This is utilised within the nature of the design. An example of this is below in this robotic arm with the base of the robot being still, but it is still able to turn on the spot (a moving mechanism). This is having the ability to move the clamp ,in the roll and yaw direction, and for the arm mechanism to rotate its arm 360 degrees. 

NOTE: No robot, or computer program will function unless it has some form of input and/or output to display the processed data.There are many ways of inputting and outputting data into a robotic system

2. There are 5 general input devices used in robotics. List them below. (p. 254)

1) Digital Camera
2) Keyboard
3) Light Pen
4) Mouse
5) Microphone

3. Sensors are a common input device on robotics. Complete the following table (see p. 254 to 255)

Sensor Name	Description	Examples of use	Potential Issues
Thermostat	Switch that opens at a set temperature and stays open while the temperature remains at that level or higher.	Ovens, hot water services.	Cheap but not as accurate or as responsive as other sensors
Thermistor	Measures temperature continually as resistance: when the temperature increases the resistance drops.	Microwave ovens and air conditioners	Cheap and also similar to a thermostat.
Semiconductor	A sensor material that has electrical conductivity to a degree between a conductor and an insulator	Transistors, solar cells and LED lights.	Expensive, but efficient.
Light	Detect changes in the level of light. They collect data related to the intensity of an image and then convert it to digital form.	Barcode scanners, burglar alarms	It is harder to convert more complicated images into digital form.
Position	A sensor used to monitor and track the relative position of objects around it.	Ultrasonic and proximity sensor	The machine operates to a very accurate extent but the machine could fail. A repair of a position sensor is not easy.
Potentiometers	Sensors that are used to determine rotation measuring electrical resistance with a meter showing the amount of voltage at a particular point.	A video game joystick and a remote control	Overheating and wrong readings can occur. Environmental factors could have an effect on the reading. Eg wind and rain
Sonar	Sonar sensors are used to detect sound underwater to discover the position of an object in the water.	Submarines and boats	Can have some harm to marine animals such as whales

4. Define and compare an Actuator to a Sensor

A sensor is a device that converts input from the environment into a signal that can be communicated to a control system. An actuator however is a specialised hardware device which, under control, comes out as a mechanical action. The differences between an actuator and a sensor controls the input into a robotic system however the actuator receives the input and then creates the appropriate output responses. Actuators work on performing the work from the measured inputs by powering the system such as temperature, light, touch and sound. Actuators also produce mechanical actions by sensors focus on converting an input into a signal that then is lead into an output, carried out by the actuator.

5. Actuators are a common output device on robotics. Complete the following table (see p. 256)

Output devices	Description and main feature	Advantage	Disadvantage
Speakers	Is an external hardware that produces a sound from a computer from a 3.5mm stereo jack. The main feature is a speaker's volume control.	Normal speech rather than synthesized speech is possible	Requires extra hardware e.g amplifier
Display (CRT or LCD)	CRT and LCD displays availible for many applications	No waste of paper, can be interactive or display animations	No hard copy
Solenoids (an actuator)	A copper coil wound around a pipe to create a motor	Small, cheap to make	not much torque
Stepping motors (an actuator)	A cog inside metal casing	Complicated and more expensive to make	Lots of torque, reliable
Position	Already done
Potentiometers	already done
Sonar	already done

6. Define Primary Storage and provides examples (p. 257)

Primary storage is a device that holds data for processing, processed data waiting for output and instructing for processing. Primary storage is found in the motherboard where it is linked to the processing parts of the computer such as the CPU and northbridge. Some examples of Primary Storage include L2 cache and RAM.

7. Define Secondary Storage and provide examples

Secondary storage is any device that is located outside of the motherboard. This type of storage is not essential to the operation of the computer but it is used as a peripheral to store information such as the operating system boot up files, and data that can be accessed from the computer. Some examples of secondary storage include DVD drives and HDD drives.

8. Using the following diagram, write below what each letter represents. You will find an overview of this motherboard at http://www.build-your-own-computer.net/motherboard-diagram.html

A PCI slot

B) Pci-e 16x slot
c) pci-e 1x slot
d) northbridge
e) 4 pin power connection
f) CPU fan connection
g) CPU socket
h) RAM memory slot
I) ATX power connector
J) IDE connection
k) Southbridge
l) SATA connections
m) front panel connections
n) FDD connection
o) external USB connection
p) CMOS battery