← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

Advantage: safety in dangerous places

An automated system can work in hazardous or hard-to-reach places, such as toxic chemicals, volcanoes, deep sea or space, so people are not put at risk.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 6.1 Automated Systems — Module 37

Understanding Advantage: safety in dangerous places in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

What it does: The unmanned submarine goes to extreme depth in place of a diver, which removes the risk to people. When it is too hot for people, the robot does the job instead, so workers are not put at risk. Automated systems can work in hazardous places, so people do not have to be exposed to toxic chemicals. The chemicals stay dangerous. Automation removes people from the danger zone. It does not make the machinery itself harmless. The code shows a machine doing the hazardous task in place of a person, which is the safety advantage of automation. A volcano crater is too hot and unstable for people, so an automated probe goes there to keep people safe.

Common mistakes: An IF statement must end its condition with THEN. It should be IF gas > 50 THEN, so the robot is sent into the toxic area instead of a person. The depth must increase so the loop ends at 3000. Subtracting 10 makes an endless loop. It should be depth ← depth + 10, so the underwater robot dives and no diver is at risk.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 608–617) and word search (Modules 608–631).

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Learning
Duo
Why might a company use an automated system in a room full of toxic chemicals?
So people are not put at risk from the chemicalsSo the chemicals become safe to touch
Matches
worker.enter(toxic_room)
↓
A person is sent into the toxic room. An automated system should do this job so that the person is not put at risk.
Applying
Meanings
Term
safety in dangerous places
Meaning
An automated system can work in hazardous or hard-to-reach places, such as toxic chemicals, volcanoes, deep sea or space, so people are not put at risk.
Practice
WHILE plantOpen = TRUE DO
Testing
Gaps
gasLevel > 50 THEN
Check Answer
Spots
1gas ← GAS_SENSOR()
2IF gas > 50

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Quick Questions

1. Why might a company use an automated system in a room full of toxic chemicals?
A. So the chemicals become safe to touch
B. So people are not put at risk from the chemicals ✓
Automated systems can work in hazardous places, so people do not have to be exposed to toxic chemicals. The chemicals stay dangerous.
2. Which is a safety advantage of using an automated system?
A. It can work in hazardous places so people stay out of danger ✓
B. It never needs to be switched on
The safety advantage is that machines can go into dangerous places instead of people. Automated systems still need power.
3. A robot is sent to collect gas samples near an active volcano. What is the main advantage?
A. Scientists are not put at risk from heat and toxic gases ✓
B. The volcano will stop erupting
The robot works in the hazardous place so people stay safe. It does not change what the volcano does.
4. Which place is hard to reach or dangerous for people, so an automated system is useful there?
A. A classroom
B. The deep sea ✓
The deep sea has huge pressure and no air, so automated systems such as underwater vehicles are used. A classroom is safe for people.
5. Why are automated probes used in space exploration?
A. They can work where people cannot easily survive or reach ✓
B. They are cheaper than every other type of computer
Space is hazardous and very far away, so automated systems can go there instead of people. Cost is not the safety reason.

Match the Pairs

robot_arm.handle(toxic_chemical) → A robot handles a dangerous chemical so that no person is exposed to the poison
probe.explore(volcano_crater) → A probe collects data inside a volcano so that scientists do not have to enter the danger zone
An automated submersible can work in the deep sea, where the pressure would harm a human diver → submarine.dive(depth_m=4000)
Automated machines can work in very high temperatures so that workers are not burned → IF temp > 500 THEN robot.work()
worker.enter(toxic_room) → A person is sent into the toxic room. An automated system should do this job so that the person is not put at risk.
IF danger = TRUE THEN person.go() → A person is sent into danger. The system should send a robot or machine to the hazardous or hard-to-reach place.

Key Term

safety in dangerous places
An automated system can work in hazardous or hard-to-reach places, such as toxic chemicals, volcanoes, deep sea or space, so people are not put at risk.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF gasLevel > 50 THEN sendRobot ← TRUE ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that starts a condition, so a robot is sent when the toxic gas level is dangerous.
2. IF temperature > 900 THEN robotEnters ← TRUE ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that comes after the condition and before the actions to run.
3. IF depth > 200 THEN sendRobot ← TRUE ENDIF
Hint: Type the comparison operator meaning 'greater than', so a robot goes where the deep sea is too deep for people.
4. IF lavaNear = TRUE THEN OUTPUT "Send drone" ENDIF
Hint: Type the pseudocode keyword that displays a message, so the volcano drone is sent instead of a person.
5. IF chemicalLeak = TRUE THEN sendRobot ← TRUE ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that closes the selection block, so the robot handles the chemical plant leak.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A gas ← GAS_SENSOR()
B IF gas > 50
C SEND_ROBOT()
D ENDIF
Line B — An IF statement must end its condition with THEN. It should be IF gas > 50 THEN, so the robot is sent into the toxic area instead of a person.
Question 2
A depth ← 0
B WHILE depth < 3000
C ROV.DIVE(10)
D depth ← depth - 10
E ENDWHILE
Line D — The depth must increase so the loop ends at 3000. Subtracting 10 makes an endless loop. It should be depth ← depth + 10, so the underwater robot dives and no diver is at risk.
Question 3
A radiation ← READ_SENSOR()
B IF radiation ← 5 THEN
C alarm ← TRUE
D ROBOT.RETREAT()
E ENDIF
Line B — The line uses the assignment arrow instead of a comparison. It should be IF radiation > 5 THEN, so the alarm and retreat only happen when radiation is high.
Question 4
A pressure ← READ_PRESSURE()
B IF pressure > 200 THEN
C STOP_MACHINE()
D OUTPUT Machine stopped
E ENDIF
Line D — Text to be displayed must be inside quotation marks. It should be OUTPUT "Machine stopped". The system stops the heavy machinery itself, so no worker is put at risk.
Question 5
A leak ← LEAK_SENSOR()
B IF leak = TRUE THEN
C worker.SEAL_PIPE()
D ENDIF
Line C — The point of the system is that a robot does the dangerous job in the chemical plant, not a person. It should be robot.SEAL_PIPE() so no worker is exposed to toxic chemicals.

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