Robotics | 机器人学

📚 Robotics | 机器人学

Robotics is the branch of science and engineering that designs, builds, programs and uses robots. A robot is a programmable machine that can sense its surroundings, process information and act on the world, often without direct human control. In IGCSE Science, robotics brings together core ideas from physics, electricity, energy, forces and computing. Understanding how sensors, controllers and actuators work helps explain many automated systems, from a factory arm to a Mars rover.

机器人学是设计、制造、编程和使用机器人的科学与工程分支。机器人是一种可编程机器，能感知周围环境、处理信息并对外界采取行动，通常无需人类直接控制。在 IGCSE 科学中，机器人学将物理、电学、能量、力和计算的核心概念结合起来。理解传感器、控制器和执行器如何工作，有助于解释从工厂机械臂到火星探测器等许多自动化系统。

1. What Is a Robot? | 什么是机器人？

A robot is not simply any machine. It is a machine that can be programmed to respond to different inputs by changing its outputs. A washing machine with one fixed cycle is less robotic than a mobile vacuum cleaner that detects obstacles and changes direction. A true robot typically has three subsystems: input sensors, a processing unit, and output actuators.

机器人并不只是任意一种机器。它是一种可以被编程的机器，能够通过改变输出来响应不同输入。只有一种固定程序的洗衣机，其机器人程度不如能检测障碍物并改变方向的移动吸尘器。一个真正的机器人通常有三个子系统：输入传感器、处理单元和输出执行器。

For example, a line-following robot uses light sensors to detect a black line on a white floor. The processor compares the left and right sensor readings. If the robot drifts left, the processor sends more power to the right motor. This closes the loop between sensing, thinking and acting.

例如，循线机器人使用光传感器检测白色地板上的黑线。处理器比较左右传感器的读数。如果机器人向左偏移，处理器就会给右电机更多动力。这就完成了感知、思考与行动之间的闭环。

2. Sensors: How Robots Sense the World | 传感器：机器人如何感知世界

Sensors are input devices that convert a physical quantity into an electrical signal. Common robot sensors include light-dependent resistors (LDRs) for brightness, thermistors for temperature, ultrasonic transducers for distance, pressure sensors for touch, and cameras for vision. In IGCSE Science, an LDR and a thermistor are important because their resistance changes with the environment.

传感器是将物理量转换为电信号的输入装置。常见的机器人传感器包括用于亮度的光敏电阻（LDR）、用于温度的热敏电阻、用于距离的超声波换能器、用于触碰的压力传感器以及用于视觉的摄像头。在 IGCSE 科学中，光敏电阻和热敏电阻很重要，因为它们的电阻会随环境变化。

A robot can use an ultrasonic sensor to measure distance by sending out a sound pulse and timing the echo. The longer the echo time, the farther the object. The sensor output can be used to stop the robot before it hits a wall or to follow a moving object at a safe distance.

机器人可以使用超声波传感器测量距离，方法是发出一个声脉冲并计算回声时间。回声时间越长，物体越远。传感器输出可用于让机器人在撞墙前停下，或与移动物体保持安全距离。

3. Processors and Decision-Making | 处理器与决策

The processor is the ‘brain’ of a robot. It is usually a microcontroller, such as an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi, that runs a stored program. The processor reads electrical signals from the sensors, compares them with set points or thresholds, and then chooses an output. Decision-making is often based on simple logic such as IF temperature is above 40 °C THEN switch on a cooling fan.

处理器是机器人的 ‘大脑’。它通常是一个微控制器，例如 Arduino 或 Raspberry Pi，运行存储的程序。处理器读取传感器的电信号，将其与设定值或阈值进行比较，然后选择输出。决策通常基于简单逻辑，例如：如果温度高于 40 °C，则开启冷却风扇。

In a robot, the program may contain many IF-THEN rules. For example: IF left sensor is dark and right sensor is light THEN turn right. These rules allow a robot to appear intelligent, even though it is only following logical instructions written by a programmer.

在机器人中，程序可能包含许多 IF-THEN 规则。例如：如果左侧传感器暗、右侧传感器亮，则右转。这些规则使机器人看起来智能，尽管它只是在遵循程序员编写的逻辑指令。

4. Actuators and Motion | 执行器与运动

Actuators are output devices that convert electrical energy into movement or another physical effect. Electric motors are the most common actuators in robots. A motor converts electrical energy into rotational kinetic energy. Servo motors can

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