Robotics

Part 1
Task 1.
Consider the following questions:
Question 1.

Is a washing machine a robot?

Yes , a washing machine can be considerated as a robot

if can be modified

programming of electronics
What about a radio-controlled toy car?

Nowadays the cars controlled by a radio-controlled toy can be considerated as a

robot beacause the innovation allow change differents paramethers of the conduction
for exemple to park a car

Question 2.

If you think the answer is 'No', whats the difference between a robot and a
washing machine or a toy car?

The wasing machine alow a diferents programs for washin

Write down at least three defining characteristics of a robot?

1) A machine or device that operates automatically or by remote control.
2) a person who works or behaves like a machine; automaton
3) Any automated machine programmed to perform specific mechanical functions in the
manner of a human
Now read Text 1.

Text 1Robotics
The origin of robotics goes back to the ancient Greeks; around 270 BC an engineer called
Ctesibus made organs and water clocks with movable figures. Nearly two thousand years later,
in the 1770s, a Swiss clock maker called Pierre Jacquet-Droz (who also invented the wrist
watch) built three ingenious mechanical dolls which could each perform a specific function:
one could write, another played music on an organ, and the third drew a picture. They
carried out these actions using gears, cogs and springs. The dolls had no industrial
application, their purpose was to amuse.

Robotics Part 1

The word robot is a Czech word meaning worker, and was first used by the writer
Karel Capek (1890-1938) in 1921 in a play called RUR (Rossum's Universal Robots). The play
described mechanical servants, the robots, who, when they were given feelings and
emotions, attacked their masters and destroyed them.
The term robotics (which refers to the study and use of robots) was created by Isaac
Asimov in a short story entitled Runaround which appeared in the March 1942 issue of the
magazine Astounding Science Fiction. And Runaround is also the first story in which Asimov
explicitly stated the Three Laws of Robotics three fundamental rules which all robots (i.e.
all thinking, autonomous robots) should follow.

Task 2.
Before reading text 2 can you answer the question in the title: What are some of the reasons
for building robots? Give at least 3.
1)
2)
3)

Text 2Why build robots?

Robots are indispensable in some manufacturing industries. One reason is because their
operating costs are much lower than employing humans to perform the same function.
Moreover, once robots are programmed, they can carry out tasks with a degree of accuracy
that surpasses the most experienced human operator. In addition, robots dont suffer from
boredom or sickness, they dont need a lunch break and they never go on strike. They can
also operate where humans cannot; for example, in conditions of extreme temperature, or
where dangerous gases are present. On the other hand, human operators are far more
versatile. Humans can switch job tasks easily. Robots are job specific: a robot designed and
programmed to paint the bodywork of cars could not be used to count parts.

Task 3.
Which of the sentences below best summarises the text, and why?
(i) Although robots can only do the task they are designed and programmed for, they never
need a lunch break and can function in situations that would be dangerous for humans.
(ii) Although most robots can only be programmed to carry out a specific task, their accuracy
in carrying out that task and their lower operating costs give them an essential role in some
industries.

Robotics Part 1

(iii) Although a human operator can paint a cars bodywork and then, for example, count
parts, a robot could do each of these tasks much more accurately.

Task 4.
Using the words given, fill in the gaps in the short text below.
making mistakes

carry out

for example

operating costs

on the other hand

instead of

advantages

accurate

such as

programmed
risky

Some of the ___(1)___ of using robots ___(2)___ humans are that robots are more ___(3)___
and have lower ___(4)___. They can ___(5)___ repetitive work without getting bored or
___(6)___, and they can work where humans cannot; ___(7)___, in places where it might be
___(8)___ for human operators ___(9)___ volcanoes or nuclear reactors. ___(10)___, robots
are job specific and can only do what they are ___(11)___ to do.

Task 5.
The next text is about BEAM robots. Before reading it, note down some of the words or ideas
you think it might include (for example, device, sensor).
1)
2)
3)

Task 6.
Now read the text quickly. As you do, note the different ways of referring to a robot.

Text 3

BEAM robotics

Although a robot is fundamentally a mechanical device, electricity will almost certainly be

used as a power source to move it. The movements themselves (for example, walking,
turning, moving an extendable arm) may have been programmed using computer engineering
skills but designed according to biological principles. In fact there is a branch of robotics
which creates mechanical creatures that imitate living creatures in many ways. BEAM robotics
(BEAM stands for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics) uses minimalist electronics
to create inexpensive, autonomous robots without the need for programming or spending
huge amounts of money. If you have the mechanical skill to straighten out a paperclip until it
can roll down an inclined plane you can build a beambot.
BEAM is an acronym for:

Robotics Part 1

Biology

- Many aspects of the designs and functions of BEAM robots resemble

or are based on insects or small animals.

Electronics

- Simple control circuitry which allows for emergent behavior.

Aesthetics

- It should look cool. If you make it pretty, it will work better!

Mechanics

- The mechanics of the body are just as important as the electronics

in the brain.

BEAM lifeforms come in an infinite variety of shapes and sizes and use different methods for
moving; wheels, legs, even wings, while waterbots use fins or other methods of propulsion.
The brains used to control BEAM devices are very simple compared to the labyrinth of wiring
and circuitry in conventional robots. These brains, also known as nervous networks, do not
use microprocessors. Many BEAM robots have less transistors than a small radio. By wiring in
basic sensors (for example, light detectors, touch feelers, heat sensors) to influence the
nervous network, the robots behaviour can be controlled.

Task 7.
6.1) What does the acronym BEAM stand for?
6.2) What are the main differences between conventional robots and BEAM robots?
6.3) What might be the advantages of teaching BEAM robotics in schools?

Task 8.
You will have noticed that Question 6.1 requires a simple answer which can be copied from
the text. The answer to Q6.2 can also be found in the text, but in several places. The answer
to Q6.3 is much more complex, and an answer requires the reader to think about the topic
and use his or her own background knowledge. Q6.1 is an example of a superficial question,
the answer to which is in the text. The answer to Q6.2 can also be found in the text; even
though the reader has to combine information from different places. Q6.3, on the other
hand, is an example of a deep question; one that requires using background knowledge to
answer it.
Now write 3 more deep questions about the topic of robotics you should also know the
answers!
1)
2)
3)

Task 9.

Robotics Part 1

In Task 3 you were given 3 sentences which summarised Text 2 (Why build Robots). Now read
Text 3 (BEAM robotics) again, decide what the most important information is, and write a
summary of between 90-110 words.

Robotics Part 1