Robotics
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| robotics/rəʊˈbɒtɪks/ | The design, building and operation of robots. |
| robot/ˈrəʊbɒt/ | robot |
| programmable/ˈprəʊɡrəməbl/ | programmable |
| reprogrammed/rɪˈprəʊɡræmd/ | reprogrammed |
Machines that act
- Robotics 机器人技术 is the design, building and operation of robots 机器人.
- A robot has a body, electronics, and a program it follows.
- Robots are great at dull or dangerous jobs — but can't think for themselves.
Computing concept lab
Classify concrete examples by the computing idea they demonstrate.
A robot uses sensors to gather data and actuators (such as motors) to act on its surroundings.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Sense, process, then act.
What makes a robot
- A physical structure — a mechanical body (such as arms).
- Electrical components — motors, sensors and wiring.
- Programmable 可编程的 instructions — it follows a program that can be changed (reprogrammed 重新编程 for a new job).
An industrial robot arm. It follows a program and can be reprogrammed to do a new job.
Which is a defining characteristic of a robot?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
A robot has a physical body, electronics, and a changeable program — it can be reprogrammed for a new job.
Uses, strengths and limits
- Uses: factory equipment (welding, moving heavy parts) and domestic appliances (a robot vacuum).
- Advantages: do dull/dangerous jobs, work quickly and accurately, never get tired.
- Disadvantages: expensive, can replace workers, and a key limit — a lack of independent decision-making: a robot only does what it's programmed to do and can't react to the unexpected.
A robot vacuum cleaner: a home robot that drives itself around to clean the floor
Which is a typical use of a robot?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Robots excel at repetitive physical tasks like welding or vacuuming; they don't make independent judgements.
Match each fact about robots to the right description.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Robots sense and act on programmable instructions — great at repetitive work, weak at judgement.
An advantage of using robots is that they:
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Robots are fast, accurate and tireless on dull/dangerous tasks, though they are costly and inflexible.
How a robot works
Worked example. A warehouse robot reads sensors (position, obstacles), a processor decides the route, and actuators (motors) move it. Sense → process → act — the loop that drives every robot.
You've got it
- a robot = physical structure + electrical components + programmable instructions
- it can be reprogrammed for a new task
- great for dull/dangerous jobs, fast and accurate, never tired
- key limit: no independent decision-making — it only does what it's told