HL Topic 7 covers how computers interact with and control the physical world through sensors, actuators, and feedback systems. It also examines the societal implications of autonomous systems.
A control system manages, commands, or regulates the behaviour of other systems. Open-loop: no feedback (e.g., simple timer). Closed-loop: uses feedback to adjust output (e.g., thermostat). Components: input (sensors), processing (microprocessor/controller), output (actuators). ADC converts analog sensor data to digital; DAC converts digital to analog for actuators.
Sensors detect physical quantities: temperature (thermistor), light (LDR/photodiode), pressure, humidity, motion (PIR), proximity (ultrasonic/infrared). Actuators produce physical actions: motors (movement), solenoids (electromagnetic switching), heaters, lights, speakers. Transducers convert one form of energy to another.
Negative feedback: output is compared to desired value; difference (error) is used to adjust input to reduce the error. Example: thermostat maintains temperature. This produces stability. Positive feedback: output amplifies the change (less common in control, used in oscillators). Most real control systems use negative feedback for stability and homeostasis.
Autonomous vehicles: use LIDAR, cameras, GPS, and AI to navigate without human input. Applications: self-driving cars, drones, industrial robots, medical robots. Benefits: reduced human error, increased efficiency, dangerous task automation. Ethical concerns: job displacement, decision-making in emergencies (trolley problem), liability, privacy (surveillance), algorithmic bias, loss of human skills.
No — Topic 7 is conceptual, not practical. You need to understand how control systems work (sensors, processors, actuators, feedback loops), be able to describe real-world examples, and discuss the ethical implications of automation and autonomous systems. There is no programming component in this topic. Questions are discursive ("describe how...", "evaluate the impact of...").
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