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Software
design and development
-
Debate the following topic: An Aibo is a toy and its
only purpose is to be a form of entertainment.
- In
groups, discuss the impact on consumers of what Sony calls
the entertainment robot, focusing particularly on the
Aibo. Use a mind map to record your thoughts.
- The
Aibo operates in three modes: autonomous, performance
and games. Suggest the software development approaches
that may have been used for each mode.
- Identify
the personnel involved with the development of a computer-based
system. Describe how the skills of the various personnel
contribute to the development of a computer-based system.
- Assess
the potential effect of entertainment robots on:
a) individuals
b) society
- Five
concepts have been explored in this case study. Using
a table like the one below, summarise the following concepts.
Some examples have been provided to get you started.
| Anthropomorphisation |
Lifelike
toys |
Automata |
Robots |
Machine
intelligence |
|
People
form an attachment to an Aibo.
|
An
Aibo gives the illusion of life through its actions.
|
An
Aibo is an automaton of a dog.
|
An
Aibo uses mechanical robotic processes to move.
|
Negative
feedback to an Aibo alters behaviour.
|
-
Why design a product to receive commands as tones?
Information
processes and technology
Option
3: Automated manufacturing systems
- A
large percentage of robots are used in manufacturing.
Discuss the arguments for and against automation from
society's perspective.
- Investigate
the effect of de-skilling on participants in an automated
system.
- Is
an Aibo just a toy or is its development symptomatic of
how society is changing? Give reasons for your answer.
- Communicating
with an automated device, such as a robot, requires an
information system to transmit and receive data. If the
robot is freestanding, that is, not connected by a cable
system, a communication protocol, such as Wireless Application
Protocol (WAP), could be used. WAP is a system that allows
access to the Internet via a mobile phone.
Investigate WAP and its application as a communication
tool for an automated device. Check www.wap.com.
- Draw
a flow chart of information processing for Aibo's machine
vision or tracking.
Design
and technology
- As
a class group, identify the ethical issues in relation
to the Aibo. Critically analyse these issues.
- a)
Identify factors that have contributed to the apparent
success of the Aibo.
b) Who will be more inclined to buy an Aibo? Why?
- Discuss
the influence of the entrepreneurial activity of Sony
in the development of the Aibo.
- Identify
the historical and cultural influences on the design and
technological development of the Aibo.
- Debate
the following topic:
An Aibo is an environmentally preferable option to a real
dog.
References
Asimov, I. (1950) I, Robot, Grafton Books, London.
Bedini, S. (1964) The role of Automata in the History of
Technology, Technology and Culture, Vol V, (No 1),
pp. 24–42.
de Solla Price, D. J. (1964) Automata and the Origins of
Mechanism and Mechanistic Philosophy, Technology and
Culture, Vol V, (No 1), pp. 9–23.
Moravec, H. (1999) Rise of the robots, Scientific American,
December, pp. 86–93.
Sony Corporation (1999) Entertainment Robot 'Aibo' ERS-110
Operation Manual, Sony Corporation, p. 54.
Veloso, M., Uther, W. and Fujita, M. (1998) Walking Soccer-Playing
Robots, www.robotmag.com/magazine/issue3.htm,
7/04/00.
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