Automated Systems

Automated systems appear in many areas of life. The syllabus lists seven scenarios you should be able to discuss.

Industry

Factory automation uses robots and conveyor belts to assemble products. Sensors detect part position, weight, colour and presence. Microprocessors coordinate the robots and check quality. Actuators move arms, grippers, paint sprayers and welding tips.

• Advantages: faster production, consistent quality, no fatigue, can work 24/7.
• Disadvantages: high initial investment, job losses for manual workers, hard to retool for new products.

Transport

Self-driving cars, automatic train control systems, modern aircraft autopilots and traffic management systems are all automated.

• Advantages: fewer accidents (no human distraction), less traffic congestion, better logistical efficiency.
• Disadvantages: job losses for drivers, reliability questions in unusual weather or scenarios, ethical concerns about decisions made in unavoidable crashes.

Agriculture

Automated systems control irrigation, climate in greenhouses, feeding in livestock barns, and milking on dairy farms. Drones and tractors with GPS automate harvesting, planting and spraying.

• Advantages: less manual labour, higher crop yield, precise water and chemical use, monitoring at scale.
• Disadvantages: very high start-up cost for equipment and sensors, technology dependence, smaller farms cannot afford it.

Weather monitoring

Networks of automatic weather stations collect temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and rainfall data 24/7. Microprocessors process the data and feed it into forecasting models.

• Advantages: accurate forecasting, continuous coverage, early-warning systems for storms, floods or wildfires.
• Disadvantages: heavy dependence on accurate, calibrated sensors; sensor failures can mislead models.

Gaming

Modern video games use AI to control opponents, adapt difficulty, generate dynamic environments and personalise the experience for each player.

• Advantages: personalised experience, smarter opponents, more replay value.
• Disadvantages: gameplay can become repetitive, reduced creative challenge for players, AI biases may emerge.

Lighting

Smart lighting systems use light sensors and motion sensors to switch lights on when a room is in use and off when empty. Street lights are switched on at dusk by light sensors.

• Advantages: large energy savings, longer bulb life, security benefit when motion lights deter intruders.
• Disadvantages: occupants may dislike the loss of manual control, false triggers can be annoying, broken sensors can leave lights stuck on or off.

Science

Laboratories use automated equipment for repetitive experiments, sample handling, microscope imaging and data collection.

• Advantages: faster and more precise than manual work, less risk of human error, runs experiments overnight, enables large-scale studies.
• Disadvantages: high development and maintenance costs, hidden algorithm bias if the system's rules are flawed, machines can lack the intuition of an experienced scientist.