ICT Class Seventh Meeting

Control Applications and Robotics

A. CONTROL APPLICATIONS

1. Turtle Graphics

• Based on the computer language named 'LOGO'.
• The control movement of a 'turtle' that is being guided by the instructions typed into the computer.
• These graphics are usually used by little children to understand the basic concepts of computer.
• Below is the most common commands used in turtle graphics.

• By understanding these commands, we can control the movements of the 'turtle'. 

2. Applications Using Sensors

• In monitoring and controlling, sensors are used by the computer then the data will be processed. 
• However there are differences between monitoring and controlling. These are the details of their differences: 
• Monitoring
• Computer simply reviews the data from the sensors and updates its files and/or gives a warning signal if the values are outside given parameters.
• No changes to the process are made during monitoring.
• Examples: 
• monitoring a patient’s vital signs in a hospital
1. Sensors read key vital signs
2. The data from the sensors is converted into digital using an ADC.
3. The data is stored in the computer’s memory.
4. The computer compares the data from the sensors with the values stored in its memory.
5. The results are output on a screen in the form of graphs and/or digital read-outs.
6. An alarm is activated if any of the data is outside acceptable parameters.
7. The system continues to monitor the patient until the computer is turned off.
• monitoring a scientific experiment in a laboratory
• a burglar alarm system
• Advantages of monitoring applications: 
• Very efficient since computer can work 24 hours 
• Will not make people waste their time since people can do other things aside from monitoring
• The response by the computer is fast
• The readings tend to be more accurate
• Controlling
• The computer again reviews the data from the sensors, but if the values are outside the given parameters it takes action to try and get the values within acceptable ranges
• It does this by sending signals to devices controlling the process.
• Examples:
• controlling a chemical process
• controlling a nuclear reactor
• controlling a greenhouse environment
• Advantages of controlling applications: 
• The response time if some parameter is out of range is much faster
• This is safer, as some processes are potentially dangerous if they go wrong
• If a process is dangerous, it is better to control it from a distance.

B. Robotics

1. Robots are used in many areas of manufacturing, from heavy work right through to delicate operations.
2. Uses of robotics:

• paint spraying of car bodies
• welding bodywork on cars
•  manufacturing of microchips
• manufacturing electrical goods 
• automatic warehouses.

3. Control of robots can be done in two ways: 

• embedded microprocessors
• linked to a computer system

4. Advantages of robotics: 

• greater consistency as they would make the same product repeatedly 
• higher efficiency since robots can do 24/7 work while humans can't
• higher productivity because robots can do much faster than human
• less expensive in long term

5. Disadvantages of robotics: 

•  may lead to unemployment since it replaces the labor
• robots find it difficult to do unusual tasks

This concludes my ICT class seventh meeting.