6. AI

• Technology has led to great advancements in automated systems which require little or no human interaction
• Areas where automation is used

  • Industry
  • Transport
  • Agriculture
  • Weather
  • Gaming
  • Lighting
  • Science
• Automated systems


  • Comprise three distinct components: sensors, microprocessors, and actuators
• Sensors


  Used to take measurements from their surrounding environment
• Sensors provide these measurements as input to microprocessors
• Microprocessors


  Process the information from sensors in order to make decisions based on the readings and predefined rules
• Actuators


  Controlled by the microprocessors to make physical changes such as activating an alarm or controlling a motor to open or close a door or valve
• Changes the outputs from the automated system


  Affect the following set of inputs received from the sensors
• This creates a feedback loop
• Scenarios where automated systems can be used


  • Industry
  • Transport
  • Agriculture
  • Weather
  • Gaming
  • Lighting
  • Science
• Nuclear power station automated systems

  • Constantly collecting vast amounts of input data from sensors (temperature, pressure, flow, radiation, gas)
  • Controlling various actuators and motors that operate parts of the power station (water cooling pumps, valves, gas pumps)
  • Initiating automatic emergency shutdowns
  • Information fed to supervisors in a control room
  • Manual intervention possible at any point
• Intelligent braking system


  1. Sensor takes readings of car's distance to objects ahead

  2. Analog values converted to digital signal

  3. Microprocessor calculates speed and safe braking distance

  4. If collision likely, issues command to brake

  5. Digital brake signals converted and sent to motor/actuator to apply physical brake
• Commercial greenhouse automated systems

  • Sensors collect data on temperature, humidity, light, moisture, pH of soil
  • Microprocessor compares readings to values, uses rules to decide actions
  • Outputs can be monitoring (display information) or control (actuators to open/close windows, blinds, water valves)
• Airport weather station automated systems

  • Variety of sensors collect environmental information
  • Microprocessor processes data and transmits to airport control tower and nearby aircraft
• Modern responsive gaming controller

  • Uses sensors (acoustic, accelerometer, pressure)
  • Microprocessor processes sensor readings and sends to game console
  • Actuators provide haptic feedback, adaptive triggers provide resistance
  • Built-in speakers, lighting provide audio and visual feedback
• Home security and atmospheric lighting system

  • Sensors collect information
  • Microprocessor controls atmospheric lighting when dark and security lighting when movement detected
• Chemical process control in laboratory

  • Microprocessor controls precise liquid dispensing until reaction occurs
  • Uses sensors to measure liquid and reaction state
• Advantages of automated systems

  • Operations carried out faster than human
  • Safer with timely interventions
  • Humans kept away from dangerous environments
  • Processes run under optimal conditions for longer
  • Long-term cost savings over human workforce
  • More consistent and repeatable results
• Disadvantages of automated systems


  • Expensive to set up initially
  • Require significant testing and calibration
  • Vulnerable to cyber attacks
  • Require specialized and ongoing maintenance
  • Limited to predefined parameters, less flexible than humans
  • Can result in job redundancies
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)


  Describes any machine programmed to simulate intelligent behaviors
• Machine Learning


  The ability to learn without being explicitly programmed, a subset of AI
• Robotics


  The study of robots, which are machines that carry out work by themselves by following a set of programmed rules
• Types of Robots


  • Dumb robots (repeat the same task over and over)
  • Smart robots (trained to learn, adapt and carry out progressively more complex tasks)
• Robots


  • Have a mechanical structure or framework
  • Have a variety of electrical components such as sensors, microprocessors, and actuators
  • Are programmable
• John McCarthy coined the term "Artificial Intelligence" in 1956
• Arthur Samuel coined the term "Machine Learning" in 1959
• Machine Learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence
• This video looks at the roles that robots can perform
• This video describes the advantages and disadvantages of robots on the roles they can perform
• It assumes you've already watched the introductory video on robots and robotics
• Variety of robots


  • Simple factory equipment
  • Domestic robots
  • Drones
• Robots


  • Used extensively in industry to help automate a wide variety of tasks from large scale to incredibly small and delicate procedures
• Transport robotics


  1. Partially automate certain actions such as parking

  2. Fully autonomous self-drive cars and trains

  3. Utilize a wide range of sensors to constantly gather data

  4. Process this data

  5. Perform physical actions such as changing gear, applying brakes, turning the steering wheel
• Robots in agriculture


  1. Cut grass

  2. Weed

  3. Prune

  4. Seed harvest and pick

  5. Fertilize

  6. Phenotyping - identify diseases by taking photographs and scanning leaves against known database
• Robots in medicine and medical research

  1. Assist with surgical procedures

  2. Monitor patients

  3. Take blood samples

  4. Microbots for targeted therapies

  5. Disinfect operating theaters

  6. Used in modern prosthetic limbs

  7. Streamline clinical workflows

  8. Help create safer working environments
• Robots in domestic households

  1. Automate manual tasks such as vacuuming

  2. Provide long-term emotional well-being support in the form of social care robots
• Robots in entertainment


  1. Used in theme parks and venues to interact with visitors

  2. Robotic cameras used in filming to exactly replicate complex shots many times

  3. Used to make dangerous or hazardous action sequences in movies realistic

  4. Used to enhance live events, concerts and music festivals
• Advantages of robots


  • Can work in hazardous, dangerous or harmful conditions for humans
  • Well suited to boring and repetitive tasks producing consistent results
  • Reduced running costs (no heating, lighting, pension, sick pay, holidays)
  • Can operate 24/7 without need for rest, leading to higher productivity
  • Improved safety as human error is largely or completely removed
• Disadvantages of robots


  • Complex robots and robotic systems are initially very expensive to set up
  • Replaced a large number of manual labour tasks resulting in unemployment
  • Potential for hacking and cyber attacks
  • Tend not to do well with unexpected situations requiring human intuition or experience
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)


  A branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behaviors by computers