0984
Robotics
Automated and Emerging Technologies · 4 question types
Exam Frequency Analysis
Past paper frequency (2018 to 2024)
This topic accounts for approximately 3% of your exam marks.
stable
Rare
Stable3%
Advantages/disadvantages of using robots in industry are the typical question format.
The syllabus expects you to remember three characteristics that every robot has:
| Characteristic | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mechanical structure | A physical body built from parts (arms, joints, wheels, tracks, grippers) that can move and interact with the environment |
| Electrical components | The internal sensors, microprocessors and actuators that read the world and drive the body |
| Programmable | Designed to follow a precise set of instructions (a program); the same hardware can usually be reprogrammed to do different tasks |
A device that has only one or two of these is not a robot:
- A computer has electrical components and is programmable, but no mechanical structure that moves, so it is not a robot.
- A toy car has a mechanical structure but is not programmable, so it is not a robot.
- A robotic vacuum cleaner has all three: a mechanical body, sensors and motors inside, and a program that decides how to clean. It therefore counts as a robot.