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Heather KnightsDavid Grover Eamon Gormley
A project-based approach
2nd Edition
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide
and associated companies around the worldand associated companies around the world
Pearson Australia(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)20 Thackray Road, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207PO Box 460, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207www.pearson.com.au
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaideand associated companies around the world
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entryAuthor: Grover, David.Title: Information and software technology / David Grover.Edition: 2nd ed.ISBN: 9781442539129 (pbk.)Notes: Includes index.Target Audience: For secondary school age.Subjects: Information technology--Study and teaching (Secondary)Dewey Number: 004
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iii
Core
ContentsAbout the book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
How to use this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
1 PROJECTS: DESIGN, PRODUCE, EVALUATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1 Defi ning and analysing the problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Designing possible solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3 Producing and evaluating solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.4 Project management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2 HARDWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.1 Hardware functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.2 Hardware components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.3 Classifi cation of systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.4 Hardware solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3 SOFTWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.1 Software systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.2 Types of application software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.3 Features of application software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.4 Interface design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.5 Features of a graphical user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3.6 Operating system software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.7 Hardware requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4 DATA HANDLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.1 Data and information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.2 Data forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4.3 Data types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4.4 Data storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4.5 File types and data compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
4.6 Data transmission and security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
iv Contents
5 PAST, CURRENT AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES . . . . . . . . . 56
5.1 Past information and software technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
5.2 Current and emerging technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
5.3 Exploring current and emerging technologies for each option . . . . . 64
5.4 The impact of technology on the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
6 PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
6.1 Roles and responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
6.2 Careers in information and software technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
7 ISSUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
7.1 Legal issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
7.2 Ethical issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
7.3 Social issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
8 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, SIMULATION AND MODELLING . . . . 86
8.1 Artifi cial intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
8.2 Areas of artifi cial intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
8.3 Requirements of artifi cial intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
8.4 Modelling and simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
8.5 Requirements of models and simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
8.6 Advantages and limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
8.7 Using modelling and simulation programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
8.8 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Options
Contents v
9 AUTHORING AND MULTIMEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
9.1 A digital revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
9.2 Types of multimedia products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
9.3 Multimedia data types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
9.4 Multimedia hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
9.5 Authoring software systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
9.6 Developing a multimedia product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
9.7 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
10 DATABASE DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
10.1 Database development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
10.2 Collecting, organising and storing data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
10.3 Processing and analysing data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
10.4 Presenting information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
10.5 Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
10.6 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
11 DIGITAL MEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
11.1 The purpose of digital media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
11.2 Types of digital media products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
11.3 Data types for digital media products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
11.4 Digitisation of data types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
11.5 Digital manipulation techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
11.6 Display and distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
11.7 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
12 THE INTERNET AND WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
12.1 The internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
12.2 A historical perspective on the internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
12.3 Features and uses of the internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
12.4 Accessing information using search engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
12.5 Internet software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
12.6 Types of internet protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
12.7 The World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
12.8 Control of access to information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
12.9 Website development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
12.10 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
vi Contents
13 NETWORKING SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
13.1 Communications networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
13.2 Network protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
13.3 Data transmission modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
13.4 Data transmission rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
13.5 Data transmission media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
13.6 Types of networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
13.7 Components of networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
13.8 Security of information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
13.9 Network topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
13.10 Network operating systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
13.11 Choosing transmission media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
13.12 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
14 ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATED SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
14.1 Robotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
14.2 Types of robots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
14.3 The purpose of robots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
14.4 The use of robots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
14.5 The function of robots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
14.6 Automated control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
14.7 Sensing devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
14.8 Actuators and controlling devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
14.9 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Contents vii
15 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMING . . . . . . . . . 310
15.1 Basic programming concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
15.2 Data types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
15.3 Operators and assignment statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
15.4 Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
15.5 Algorithms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
15.6 Program control structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
15.7 Desk checking and subprograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
15.8 GUI layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
15.9 Programming languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
15.10 Data structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
15.11 Testing program code and detecting and correcting errors . . . . . . 346
15.12 Correcting errors and program documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
15.13 Project development and additional content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
INDEXES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Heather KnightsDavid Grover Eamon Gormley
A project-based approach
2nd Edition
This new edition is completely redesigned in double page spreads and all the content has been updated.
Student bookThe text provides a clear project development focus in line with the spirit of the syllabus. It presents a precise coverage of the Core topics, which provide a ready reference as the Options are studied.
Key features • Clear design makes the book easy to navigate.
• Content is presented in double page spreads for ease of use.
• Graded student activities appear at the end of each spread.
• New content refl ects current computing technology advances.
• New case studies present students with challenging material.
• Each chapter opens with a list of syllabus outcomes and key terms.
• ‘In Action’ sections present real-life applications of the theory.
• Infobits provide snippets of interesting information.
• Engaging, hands-on group and individual tasks and projects are balanced with theory.
Information and Software Technology: A project-based approach 2nd Edition
We believe in learning.All kinds of learning for all kinds of people,delivered in a personal style.Because wherever learning fl ourishes, so do people.
Pearson ReaderPearson Reader is an interactive, online version of your student book with access to a range of online video, audio, interactive lessons, worksheets, case studies, weblinks and more that save teachers time and present content in the way students like to learn.
The Information and Software Technology Pearson Reader includes:
The Student version• Online version of the student book• Drag and drop technology interactives• Activities using software or specially developed fi les• Animations• Video clips
The Teacher version• Everything contained in the Student version• Connection with other users through the ‘Add
links’ functionality which allows teachers to share web links with their class, other teachers in the school, and teachers throughout Australia
• Programming suggestions• A Core matrix showing the links between the
Option chapters and Core content• Approaches to developing projects• Worksheets • Chapter tests • Answers to all worksheets and tests
Don’t miss out on your Pearson Reader Starter Pack.
When you choose Information & Software Technology: A project-based approach 2nd Edition, you will get a Pearson Reader Starter pack giving you full access to the teacher and student interactive resources, as well as an interactive online chapter.
If you like what you see, you can add on more chapters or upgrade to the full course content. Visit the Pearson Reader home page at www.pearsonplaces.com.au/pearsonreader.
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Find out more at Pearson Professional Learning Place at
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x Information and Software Technology
How to use this bookInformation and Software Technology: A project-based approach 2nd Edition addresses the requirements of the New South Wales 7–10 Information and Software Technology syllabus.
There are 15 chapters in this book, each with the following features.
Chapter opening pages outline the syllabus outcomes and the key terms used in the chapter. The chapter begins with an In Action section which presents a real-life application of the chapter content.
2
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
You will learn about:
• defining and analysing a problem
• designing possible solutions
• producing solutions
• evaluation
• project management
• communication techniques
• collaboration and group work.
You will learn to:
• identify factors which impact on
solutions
• generate ideas using a range of
methods
• model possible solutions
• apply set criteria to choose an
appropriate solution
• establish evaluation criteria
• communicate ideas and solutions
• collaborate in a group situation.
KEY TERMS
Analyseidentify components and the
relationship between them
Collab orationworking together in a group to
share ideas and expertise
Communicationsharing of information with people
Concept mapgraphic which shows how ideas
are related
Criteriaelements that must be included
in a project and the standards by
which it will be evaluated
Design, produce, evaluate
the three stages of successful
project work
Evaluationcomparison of the solution and
original expectations
IPO tableinput, output and processing of
data needed for a solution
Project management
overseeing of a project to ensure it
is done to time and on budget
Prototypesimple version of how the final
project might look
Resourcestime, finances and people needed
for a solution
Storyboardsimple sketches of screen design
and navigation 172
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
You will learn about:
• the purpose of digital media
• types of digital media products
• data types for digital media
• manipulation techniques for digital data
• digitisation of data types
• file formats
• factors affecting file sizes
• display and distribution of digital data
• development of digital media products
• people and issues involved in digital media
• social, ethical and legal issues
• current applications of digital media.
You will learn to:
• define digital media
• assess a range of digital media products
• recognise and select different digital media
data types
• describe the purpose of a digital media
product
• explain and perform digitisation of a selected
data type using appropriate hardware
• select and use appropriate file formats
• discuss and manipulate factors that affect
file size
• examine the display and distribution of
digital media products
• select and deliver digital media products for
a targeted audience
KEY TERMS
Analogue datadata with signal size that can vary continuously
Animationrapid display of a series of
images, each one slightly
different from the one before it, to create an illusion of movement
Audiodigital data on a computer
representing sounds, including voice, music, sound effects and background noises
CODECalgorithm to compress and decompress a data file, usually audio or video;
compression may be either
lossy or lossless
Colour palettecolours available for displaying an image
Computer-generated image
(CGI)used to create three-dimensional creatures as characters in movies
Digital mediaT forms in which digital data can exist such as text,
audio, graphics, animation
and video
Musical instrument digital interface (MIDI)
audio format made up of
digital descriptions of the
instrument, and duration,
pitch and timing of each note
Morphingtransformation of one image into a second different image
Optical character recognition (OCR)
software process involving
use of a scanner to convert
a scanned graphic into ASCII characters
Renderingcreation of lighting and addition of textures to a 3D
image
Textdata involving strings of printable characters separated by white space
characters
Videoseparate frames of sequential bitmapped graphics shown rapidly to create the illusion of movement
Warpingmanipulation of an image
280
CHAPTER OUTCOMESYou will learn about:• the history of robots and robotics• different types of robots• the purpose, use and function of
robots• automated control systems• input, output and processing
devices associated with automated control systems.
You will learn to:• define and describe robots,
robotics and automated control systems
• examine and discuss the purpose of robots and hardware devices associated with robots
• examine and discuss hardware devices associated with automated control systems
• investigate robotic and automated control systems.
KEY TERMSActuatorsoutput devices, such as motors and end effectors, that convert energy and signals to motion
Automated control systemgroup of elements that maintains a desired result by manipulating the value of another variable in the system
Controllerprocesses information from sensors and transmits appropriate commands to actuators in automated systems
Cyborgshumans who use mechanical or electromechanical technology to give them abilities they would not otherwise possess
Degrees of freedommeasure of robotic motion—one degree of freedom is equal to one movement either back and forth (linear movement) or around in a circle (rotational)
End effectormechanical device attached to the end of a robotic arm that carries out a particular task
Magnetic grippertype of end effector used to pick up metallic objects
Motion sensorautomated control component that detects sudden changes of movement
Optical sensorautomated control component that detects changes in light or in colour
Robotautomatically guided machine that is able to perform tasks on its own
Roboticsscience of the use and study of robots
Sensorinput device that accepts data from the environment
Solenoidtype of actuator that produces movement using a magnetic current
Temperature sensorautomated control component that measures temperature
The book is divided into two colour-coded sections, corresponding to the Core content and the Options.
The course should integrate the study of Core content within the context of the Options delivered through projects.
RMS
agnal size thattinuouslysly
y of a seeries ofh one slightlym the oonecreate an
movemenent
on a coomputerg soundds,ice, muusic,ts andnoiseses
o comppresspress aa dataaudioo or video;n mayy be eithersless
tteilable foran imaage
geneneeeererererarararaatatted image
ate thhree-al creaatures asn movovies
iawhichch digitalxist susuch as text,phics,s, animation
Musical instrument digital interface (MIDI)
audio format made up ofdigital descriptions of theinstrument, and duration,
pitch and timing of eachnote
Morphingtransformation of oneimage into a seconddifferent image
Optical character recognition (OCR)
software process involvinguse of a scanner to convert
a scanned graphic intoASCII characters
Renderingcreation of lighting andaddition of textures to a 3D
image
Textdata involving stringsof printable charactersseparated by white spacecharacters
Videoseparate frames ofsequential bitmappedgraphics shown rapidlyto create the illusion ofmovement
Warpingmanipulation of an image
173
Figure 11.1 The three-dimensional hologram of the ‘Home Tree’.
Figure 11.2 Avatar broke many box office records and won three Academy awards.
Creating a 3-D world in AvatarJames Cameron’s Avatar sparked new ways of thinking about making movies. Artists used new digital tools to carry out the performance capture, animation and photorealistic rendering needed to create Avatar.Designing: Building James Cameron’s new world required a visual tool. The art department and production designers used Photoshop to produce artwork to convince studio heads the project was possible. After Effects was used to place flowing camera moves and dissolves on the still artwork.Artists used Photoshop for storyboarding and to create very high resolution matte paintings and textures used for the 3-D computer graphics (CG) environments, vehicles and creatures. Thousands of digital images were taken as lighting and texture references, and these were catalogued in databases.A huge stage was created in Los Angeles where motion captured actors performed live while watching their matching CG creatures onscreen in a virtual world.Producing: Companies around the world created the movie’s visual effects shots which were 75 per cent of the movie. After Effects was used to create 3-D stereo scenes for finished shots, motion graphics for the 3-D holographic screens seen in the control room and heads-up displays for the vehicles in the film. In one scene, Jake Sully and an officer switch to a three-dimensional hologram of the ‘Home Tree’, where the Na’vi people live (see Figure 11.2). Using a green screen across the top of a table, one company modelled the imagined hardware inside the table and added projected graphics of the terrain. These graphics were designed in 2-D in Adobe® Illustrator®, animated in After Effects and rendered in Autodesk® 3ds Max®. They also designed the screens for aircraft in Illustrator, and animated them in After Effects. The artist concentrated on animating for one eye and then 3-D images were generated automatically, animating the other eye and creating the correct depth.
Even simple 2-D shots become extremely complicated in stereo 3-D. When subtitling the stereo 3-D versions of the film, the subtitles must sit at the bottom of the screen in 3-D space to avoid interfering with the 3-D content.Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ teleconferencing software, was used for collaboration during production, allowing artists to control someone else’s desktop through an ordinary browser.Rendering: Today’s audiences expect that visual special effects will be loaded with detail. Weta’s character Gollum for Lord of the Rings was the most complex CG for that time, but Avatar has set another benchmark. These effects require large amounts of processing power and must be completed before the next scene commences. Producing a movie in stereoscopic 3-D makes files even larger.
Servers and render farms for Avatar ran up to 24 hours a day as the deadline neared. These servers contained 40 000 processors and 104 terabytes of RAM and were cooled using water. Tens of thousands of dollars are saved by changing temperature by just one degree.
Questions 1 List the software named in the article. Tick each application that you have used in your course. 2 What reasons are given for the large amount of work put into creating still images of the world of Avatar during planning? 3 Avatar was not the first stereoscopic 3-D feature movie. Why do you think Avatar was so successful, breaking all box office records?
?
Chapter 3 Software 41
Computer–generated imagery is found on television and at the movies, and in newspapers, text books and advertising. Business professionals use images for
Computer graphics now include 2D and 3D imagery, both still and animated. Primary and high school students use graphics packages quite intuitively while enjoying commercial productions such as Avatar and Rango.
But where did it all start?
In 1961, Ivan Sutherland created a computer drawing program called Sketchpad that could be used to draw simple shapes on the computer screen using a light pen. The images could be saved and recalled for further editing.
These early images used vector graphics which are composed of thin lines. They were quite light on memory but they could not create realistic colour tones easily. Modern day graphics are raster based and use pixels to build up an image so that high resolution software can present continuous gradients of colour.
Also in 1961, Steve Russell created the first video game, Spacewar. It ran on the PDP-1, a minicomputer with nine kilobytes of main memory and a CPU speed of 200 KHz. This was an instant success and has been developed across the decades providing ongoing entertainment in video arcades.
In 1966, Ivan Sutherland invented the first computer-controlled, head-mounted display. It displayed two separate wireframe images, one for each eye. This allowed the viewer to see the computer scene in stereoscopic 3D. It was called the
Sword of Damocles—suggesting an ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power!
It is hard to imagine the journey from those first innovations to the present. Most people you know probably own their own computer, which is nearly a million times more powerful and can be used to manipulate high-end graphics and moving images.
Questions 1 Identify the ways in which you interact with
computer generated images.
2 How do the hardware components on the PDP-1 compare to today’s desktop PC?
3 Research other milestones in the history of computer generated graphics.
?
Figure 3.25 The Spacewar game was the predecessor of many of today’s video games. Unfortunately it could only be played on a mainframe computer!
1 What system hardware is installed in your computer—processor and RAM?
2 Why does graphics software require more processing power than other software?
3 Look on the Microsoft website to find the systems requirements for the latest version of the Office suite applications. Do all the programs contained in this package require the same hardware standards?
4 Open a graphics package such as Photoshop. Look under the help menu for system information. It should indicate here how much RAM it is using.
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The birth of computer graphicsComputer–generated imagery is found on teand at the movies, and in newspapers, text advertising. Business professionals use imapresentation and analysis of information.
Computer graphics now include 2D and 3Dboth still and animated. Primary and high sstudents use graphics packages quite intuitienjoying commercial productions such as ARango.
But where did it all start?
Case studies highlight relevant, real-life examples of the theory.
How to use this book 1
People sections focus on profi ling people working with technology.
Chapter 14 Robotics and automated systems 289
Identify 1 Outline the reasons why robots are used in
manufacturing.
2 List four areas of robotic use today, apart from the manufacturing industry.
3 List the reasons why robots are considered to be more reliable workers than humans.
Analyse 4 Imagine you could have a robot that would do any
task you requested—a companion to do all the work you find tedious or tiring. How do you think this might affect you as a person?
5 Describe the types of jobs which would not be suitable for robots.
Investigate 6 Apart from the Titanic discovery, describe another
situation where underwater robots were used for dangerous tasks.
7 Underwater robots proved invaluable following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also referred to as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill). Research this environmental disaster, paying particular attention to:
• the reasons why robots were used to contain the oil leak
• the difficulties encountered during the cleanup
• the tasks performed by the robots.
8 Investigate the ways in which robots are used to help people with disabilities.
engineer Imahara
Grant Imahara is an animatronics engineer who has worked on such movies as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and The Matrix Reloaded.
Grant was one of those kids who would disassemble remote controls and take all the wheels off toy cars. His life changed at the age of four when he received his first LEGO set. It introduced him to robots and provided a foundation for his interest in engineering. After graduating from college, he was asked to work for Lucasfilms where he worked in the special effects model shop.
He made spaceships and miniature cities as well as robots. He was part of the R2-D2 development team for episodes one, two and three of Star Wars. Then the MythBusters opportunity came along and now he gets paid to blow things up. Grant has also written a book on building robots called Kickin’ Bot and his combat robot, Deadblow, was featured on BattleBots.
Figure 14.15 Grant Imahara is an animatronics and robotics expert who is best known for his work on the American television show MythBusters.
Questions 1 Identify the event that changed Grant Imahara’s life.
2 Research and provide a job description of an animatronics engineer.
3 Research and explain the relationship between animatronics and robotics.
?
Figure 14.16 In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, R2-D2’s movements were controlled by Grant Imahara.
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Animatronics engineer Grant ImaharaGrant Imahara is an animatronics engineer who has worked on such movies as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and The Matrix Reloaded.
Grant was one of those kids who would disassemble remote controls and take all the wheels off toy cars. His life changed at the
Figure 14 15 Grant Imahara is an
Infobits provide snippets of interesting information to stimulate curiosity.
Chapter 14 Robotics and automated systems 303
Traffic lightsTraffic lights use a range of sensors to control traffic and help keep people safe on the roads. Commonly, traffic light systems use an inductance loop placed in the road. As a car goes over the loop, a small current is induced. This is fed to the processor controlling the system. The system then recognises that a car is present. Some traffic lights do not use sensors. At busy intersections, for example, traffic lights may simply operate on timers in order to ensure that traffic moves as smoothly and safely as possible.
Navigation systems in carsSatellite navigation systems (sat navs) provide drivers with directions as well as traffic and estimated time of arrival information. Sat navs use global positioning to help drivers determine where they are at any moment in time.
Figure 14.41 Global positioning systems rely on a process of triangulation whereby the location of a transmitter can be determined by measuring either the distance or the direction of the received signal from three or more different points.
Earth
GPS receiverin car
Satellites orbitingthe earth
(LBS) are software applications which provide users of mobile devices—particularly GPS enabled smart phones—with personalised services based on their current location. There are applications (apps) for example, which notify friends of your location in real time or allow users to locate the nearest automatic teller machine. Other services allow businesses to direct advertising at people—transmitting digital coupons, for example, based on users’ proximity to particular shops.
Unlocking the GPS functionality of mobile phones opens up a whole new world of convenience but has also increased concerns around privacy and raised questions about the measures location-based service providers are implementing to protect users’ information. Not surprisingly, concerns have been raised about the threats to privacy posed by LBS technology.
Locational privacy refers to the ability of an individual to move in public space with the expectation that their location will not be systematically and secretly recorded for later use. Location-based services have the potential to strip away locational privacy, making it possible for individuals and organisations to harvest data on the movements of LBS subscribers.
Users must provide their consent before a service provider can determine positioning data from their mobile phone. However, once consent is given, information may be quietly collected by organisations—particularly advertisers—who may assemble profiles on users without their knowledge. Privacy activists say consumers may be surprised to learn companies monitor LBS users’ activity and profit from their data.
Questions 1 Identify two advantages of location-based services.
2 Provide a definition for the term ‘data harvesting’.
3 Outline the privacy concerns associated with location-based services.
?
Figure 14.40 Trends in social media and the prevalence of smart phones with inbuilt satellite positioning have encouraged an increasing number of people to broadcast their whereabouts via location-based services.
Most late-model cars contain an astonishing array of sensors to allow engines and electronic systems to run at peak efficiency.
Some early versions of traffic control inductance loops were not sensitive enough to pick up the presence of small vehicles such as motorcycles. Consequently it was not uncommon for a motorcyclist to be stranded until a car came along!
mulate ity.
Satellite navigation systems (sat navs) provide driverswith directions as well as traffic and estimated time of arrival informatioformation. Sat navs use global positioning to help drivers determine wine where they are at any moment in time.
(LBS) are software applicationswhich provide users of mobile devices—particularly GPS enabled smart phones—with personalised services based on their current location. There are applications (apps) forexample, which notify friends of your location in real time oor allow users to locate the nearest automatic teller machine. Other services allow businesses to direct advertising at people—transmitting digital coupons, for example, based o on users’ proximity to particular shops.
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Most late-model cars contain an astonishinging array of sensors to allow engines and electronic systemsems to run at peak efficiency.
Some early versions of traffic control inwere not sensitive enough to pick up thsmall vehicles such as motorcycles. Connot uncommon for a motorcyclist to becar came along!
Chapter 8 Artificial intelligence, simulation and modelling 91
DemonsDemons (or daemons) are intelligent processes that run in the background of computer programs and attend to various tasks without human intervention. The term comes from Greek mythology, where daemons were guardian spirits.
Typical computer daemons include print spoolers and email handlers. You have possibly noticed the words ‘mailer daemon’ in the header of an email message. If an email is incorrectly addressed, a mailer daemon can generate an automated message to the sender stating that the message was undeliverable. The demon performs this task without the user having to start the program.
AgentsAgents are similar to daemons but tend to perform tasks on behalf of a particular user, as opposed to initiating processes that operate system-wide. There are agents used by online shopping sites which retrieve information about a buyer’s spending habits. Also known as shopping bots, they display products or services based on previous transactions. An online book store, for example, may display a list of books by a particular author to a customer who has previously purchased other titles by the same author.
The ability to automatically correct spelling in a word processing document is an example of a simple task carried out by an agent. If the letters ‘yuo’ are typed, for example, most word processing programs will automatically change them to ‘you’. The user of the program may not even notice that this has happened. Agents can learn what to do for each individual user, sometimes without the user’s permission.
turn up the volume in a game by making a thumbs-up sign or interact with it via spoken commands.
Nintendo popularised the idea of gesture-based gaming with the Wii console which allows people to swing remote controls and balance on boards to control their digital avatars. With the latest gesture-recognition consoles, including Xbox 360 with Kinect, it’s not completely beyond the realms of possibility that if the game senses you lounging about on the couch for too long, it might just decide to ramp up the difficulty level from casual to hard-core.
Questions 1 Identify the underlying concept of gesture-based
gaming.
2 List three examples of how a person may interact with a gesture-based gaming system.
3 Research the term ‘motion-sensing technology’. List some of the other areas where this technology can be found.
?
Gesture recognition technology allows users to play games without a controller or joystick.
Figure 8.6 Web crawler software can be classified in the same area of artificial intelligence as agents and demons. Developers of search engines such as Google are constantly trying to find more efficient ways of using web crawlers to locate relevant information on the World Wide Web.
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The underlying concept is that people should benatural body actions and hand gestures, rather tbuttons or dragging mouse pointers across scremight play soccer, for example, by kicking your
Past, current and emerging technologies look at the historical, the current and where technology is heading.
Issues boxes explore legal and social concerns.
Chapter 14 Robotics and automated systems 303
Traffic lightsTraffic lights use a range of sensors to control traffic and help keep people safe on the roads. Commonly, traffic light systems use an inductance loop placed in the road. As a car goes over the loop, a small current is induced. This is fed to the processor controlling the system. The system then recognises that a car is present. Some traffic lights do not use sensors. At busy intersections, for example, traffic lights may simply operate on timers in order to ensure that traffic moves as smoothly and safely as possible.
Navigation systems in carsSatellite navigation systems (sat navs) provide drivers with directions as well as traffic and estimated time of arrival information. Sat navs use global positioning to
Figure 14.41 Global positioning systems rely on a process of triangulation whereby the location of a transmitter can be determined by measuring either the distance or the direction of the received signal from three or more different points.
Earth
GPS receiverin car
Satellites orbitingthe earth
Location-based servicesLocation-based services (LBS) are software applications which provide users of mobile devices—particularly GPS enabled smart phones—with personalised services based on their current location. There are applications (apps) for example, which notify friends of your location in real time or allow users to locate the nearest automatic teller machine. Other services allow businesses to direct advertising at people—transmitting digital coupons, for example, based on users’ proximity to particular shops.
Unlocking the GPS functionality of mobile phones opens up a whole new world of convenience but has also increased concerns around privacy and raised questions about the measures location-based service providers are implementing to protect users’ information. Not surprisingly, concerns have been raised about the threats to privacy posed by LBS technology.
Locational privacy refers to the ability of an individual to move in public space with the expectation that their location will not be systematically and secretly recorded for later use. Location-based services have the potential to strip away locational privacy, making it possible for individuals and organisations to harvest data on the movements of LBS subscribers.
Users must provide their consent before a service provider can determine positioning data from their mobile phone. However, once consent is given, information may be quietly collected by organisations—particularly advertisers—who may assemble profiles on users without their knowledge. Privacy activists say consumers may be surprised to learn companies monitor LBS users’ activity and profit from their data.
Questions 1 Identify two advantages of location-based services.
2 Provide a definition for the term ‘data harvesting’.
3 Outline the privacy concerns associated with location-based services.
?
Figure 14.40 Trends in social media and the prevalence of smart phones with inbuilt satellite positioning have encouraged an increasing number of people to broadcast their whereabouts via location-based services.
Some early versions of traffic control inductance loops were not sensitive enough to pick up the presence of small vehicles such as motorcycles. Consequently it was not uncommon for a motorcyclist to be stranded until a car came along!
Satellite navigation systems (sat navs) provide driveections as well as traffic and estimated time
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!
sensors to allow engines and electronic systems topeak efficiency.
Chapter 10 Database design 157
Identify 1 List the common types of data sources mentioned in
the text. What type of data is collected and what sort of input device is used for each?
2 What is the difference between validation and verification?
3 What is redundant data? How is it eliminated?
4 What are some of the most common methods of storing database files?
Analyse 5 Find an application form which is used to apply for
membership to a club or health fund. How would the data be entered into the database? What chance is there of human error?
6 Compare the file sizes of some of your databases. What effect does adding graphics to the data or headers have on the database file size?
7 Why is it important to eliminate redundant data from databases?
8 Why are backup procedures carried out so often in banks and large organisations?
9 Some backup systems need to be large, while others need to be portable. Draw up a table to compare methods of backup and give examples of where they might be used.
Investigate 10 Look at one of the websites that is used for purchasing
items online. List the ways in which the amount of data to be entered is minimised, and other features which work to ensure accuracy of the data collected.
11 The Australian Tax Office needs to check data that is submitted by taxpayers each year. It will use each individual’s tax file number (TFN) to do this. Employers are required to record TFNs and banks strongly recommend it. Why is this necessary? Which other institutions ask for TFNs?
Remote accessToday’s technology allows users to access information instantly, from anywhere in the world at any time of the day or night. Users can interact with data through terminals, viewing and changing values online in real time. We check our bank balance, share prices and the weather. We shop, pay bills and book holidays. All this is possible because we can access these databases, stored to remote servers, over the internet. Some schools allow staff and students to access data files and e-mail accounts from home.
Large organisations may keep information on different computers around the world. An airline may keep all the personal information about its employees in one city and the flight schedules for the crews in another location. When compiling a roster for work schedules, it will need to access several related databases. This idea of distributed databases is often not visible to the user. With high-speed communications, we are often not aware that the information we are processing is being accessed and stored on a distant computer.
!
Questions 1 We assume we can have free access to large volumes
of information over the internet. Who pays for the development and maintenance of the databases which contain all this information? Give some examples to illustrate your answers.
2 With such large amounts of information stored all over the world, it is easy to lose sight of who actually knows our personal details. Discuss the idea of storage of information in the context of loss of privacy.
?
Booking a holiday or a flight is easy to do online.
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Identify 1 Outline the reasons why robots are used
manufacturing.
2 List four areas of robotic use today, apart manufacturing industry.
3 List the reasons why robots are considerereliable workers than humans.
Analyse 4 Imagine you could have a robot that wou
task you requested—a companion to do ayou find tedious or tiring. How do you thaffect you as a person?
5 Describe the types of jobs which would n
Activities at the end of each unit are broken down under a selection of the following headings:– Identify: comprehension and recall questions
that check understanding – Analyse: extension questions where students are
required to apply their knowledge– Investigate:
higher order activities requiring more critical thinking.
The PP icon indicates that an activity or extra material is available for students online on the Pearson Places website.
