Automated and Emerging Technologies · 4 question types
Past paper frequency (2018 to 2024)
This topic accounts for approximately 3% of your exam marks.
Advantages/disadvantages of using robots in industry are the typical question format.
A robot is built from the same components covered in topic 15 (automated systems), with one extra category specific to robotics: the .
Sensors are the robot's input devices, measuring the environment so the robot knows what is around it.
Typical sensors on a robot:
The microprocessor is the robot's brain. It reads the sensor inputs, runs the program, and decides what each actuator should do next.
Modern robots may use a single microcontroller for simple tasks or a network of processors with onboard AI accelerators for complex perception and decision-making.
turn the microprocessor's electrical signals into physical motion.
Common actuators in robots:
An end-effector is the tool or hand at the end of a robot arm: the part that actually interacts with the world.
Examples of end-effectors:
The same robot arm can often swap between different end-effectors to do different jobs, which is part of why a single industrial robot can be reprogrammed for many tasks.
The data flow inside a robot is the same closed-loop pattern as any automated system:
sensors → microprocessor → actuators (turning end-) → environment changes → sensors read again
The environment changes because the end-effector did something; the sensor picks up that change on the next reading; the microprocessor decides what to do next. The cycle repeats many times a second.
Explaining how a robot responds to a detected condition
What comes up: A question gives you a robot (or automated system) and a trigger condition, then asks you to explain the role of the sensor, microprocessor and actuator — typically worth 3–6 marks.
Write (three core marks): (1) The sensor continuously reads the environment and sends digitised data to the microprocessor. (2) The microprocessor compares that data against a stored threshold or reference value; if the condition is met (e.g. an object is within range), it sends a signal to the actuator. (3) The actuator carries out a physical action (stops the motor, closes a door, etc.); if the condition is not met, no action is taken, and the process repeats until it is turned off.
Watch out: Vague answers like "the sensor detects it and the robot stops" score nothing on their own. You must chain all three components in sequence — sensor reads → microprocessor compares → actuator acts — and state what happens in both the triggered and the non-triggered case to reach full marks.