← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

Example robot: drones

A flying robot with a frame and rotors, sensors, a microprocessor and motors, and a program that controls its flight, either by remote control or by following a programmed route.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 6.2 Robotics — Module 14

Understanding Example robot: drones in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

What it does: The program makes the flight decisions itself by working through the route, which is why an autonomous drone is a robot. In remote control, the pilot's input decides the movement, unlike a programmed route where the stored program decides. The frame and rotors are the physical parts. The microprocessor and sensors are electrical components. The sensor measures, the microprocessor decides, and the actuators (motors) act. A device is a robot because it has all three characteristics, not because of what it does. Flying alone does not make a device a robot. Motors are actuators because they cause movement. Sensors collect data instead.

Common mistakes: A sensor only gathers data. The motors are the actuators that change the rotor speeds to level the drone, so line 4 should be ADJUST motors. The frame material is text, so it must be in quotes. Without the quotes the program treats carbon and fibre as variable names. It should be frame ← "carbon fibre".

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Learning
Duo
Which statement about a drone is correct?
A drone is just a toy that has no electrical parts or programA drone is a flying robot with a frame, rotors, electrical parts and a program
Matches
A drone is a robot because it has wings and no electrical parts
↓
A drone has a frame and rotors, not wings, and it needs electrical components such as sensors, a microprocessor and motors to be a robot.
Applying
Meanings
Term
drone
Meaning
A flying robot with a frame and rotors, sensors, a microprocessor and motors, and a program that controls its flight, either by remote control or by following a programmed route.
Practice
route ← [A, B, C]
Testing
Gaps
FOR rotor ← 1 TO
Check Answer
Spots
3 IF tilt <> 0 THEN
4 ADJUST sensors

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Quick Questions

1. Which statement about a drone is correct?
A. A drone is just a toy that has no electrical parts or program
B. A drone is a flying robot with a frame, rotors, electrical parts and a program ✓
A drone has all three robot characteristics: a mechanical structure (frame and rotors), electrical components (sensors, microprocessor, motors) and a program.
2. Which part of a drone is its mechanical structure?
A. The frame and rotors ✓
B. The microprocessor and sensors
The frame and rotors are the physical parts. The microprocessor and sensors are electrical components.
3. What do the sensors on a drone do to help it stay level in the air?
A. They spin to make the drone fly upwards
B. They measure its tilt and position and send the data to the microprocessor ✓
Sensors only collect data. The microprocessor uses it to tell the motors to adjust. The motors turn the rotors.
4. What does the microprocessor do when a sensor shows the drone is tilting?
A. It processes the sensor data and tells the motors to change speed ✓
B. It measures the tilt itself and turns the rotors directly
The sensor measures, the microprocessor decides, and the actuators (motors) act.
5. Which drone is flying by remote control?
A. A drone whose movements are steered by a person using a handset ✓
B. A drone that follows a route stored in its program with no one steering
Remote control means a human gives the commands as it flies. Following a stored route with no human steering is autonomous flight.

Match the Pairs

rotors → The spinning blades turned by motors that push air down and lift the drone into the air
IF tilt_sensor = "left" THEN speed_up_right_rotors → A sensor reading is used by the program to adjust the rotors and keep the drone level
An autonomous drone follows a programmed route without a pilot, so it still counts as a robot → FOR each waypoint IN route: fly_to(waypoint)
A remote-controlled drone is flown by a human pilot who sends commands from a handset → IF stick_pushed = "forward" THEN move_forward
A drone is a robot because it has wings and no electrical parts → A drone has a frame and rotors, not wings, and it needs electrical components such as sensors, a microprocessor and motors to be a robot.
A drone flown only by remote control with no program is a robot → A drone needs a program that controls its flight to be a robot, because the microprocessor must run instructions.

Key Term

drone
A flying robot with a frame and rotors, sensors, a microprocessor and motors, and a program that controls its flight, either by remote control or by following a programmed route.

Fill in the Blanks

1. FOR rotor ← 1 TO 4 spin(rotor) NEXT rotor
Hint: Type the number of rotors on a quadcopter drone frame
2. IF tilt > 0 THEN correctTilt() ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that starts the block run when the tilt sensor condition is true
3. INPUT command IF command = "UP" THEN climb()
Hint: Type the keyword that reads a command sent from the pilot's remote control
4. WHILE battery > 20 flyTo(nextPoint) ENDWHILE
Hint: Type the comparison operator so the drone keeps following its route only while the battery is above the limit
5. hasFrame ← TRUE hasElectrics ← TRUE isRobot ← hasFrame AND hasElectrics
Hint: Type the logical operator that needs both characteristics to be true

Spot the Error

Question 1
A WHILE battery > 20
B READ gyroscope
C IF tilt <> 0 THEN
D ADJUST sensors
E ENDIF
F ENDWHILE
Line D — A sensor only gathers data. The motors are the actuators that change the rotor speeds to level the drone, so line 4 should be ADJUST motors.
Question 2
A frame ← carbon fibre
B rotors ← 4
C OUTPUT frame, rotors
Line A — The frame material is text, so it must be in quotes. Without the quotes the program treats carbon and fibre as variable names. It should be frame ← "carbon fibre".
Question 3
A OUTPUT mode
B IF mode = "route" THEN
C FOLLOW route
D ENDIF
Line A — The drone must receive the chosen mode (remote control or programmed route), so line 1 should be INPUT mode. OUTPUT would only display a value that does not exist yet.
Question 4
A altitude ← 0
B WHILE altitude < 30
C altitude ← altitude - 5
D ENDWHILE
Line C — The drone is climbing to 30 m, so the altitude must increase. Subtracting would make the loop run forever. It should be altitude ← altitude + 5.
Question 5
A tilt ← READ gyroscope
B IF tilt > 0
C CALL levelDrone()
D ENDIF
Line B — An IF statement needs the keyword THEN at the end of the condition. Line 2 should be IF tilt > 0 THEN.

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