Computers In Control

A visit to the Chicago Robotics Exhibition. Ian McNaught-Davis begins to look at how computers can sense what's going on round them.

How can the computer detect such widely different things as the whereabouts of a London Transport bus, fog, the length of an electronic flash or the speed of a motor? IAN MCNAUGHT DAVIS and JOHN COLL look at a wide range of sensors which are available on the market.

Ian McNaught-Davis continues his exploration of the principles behind the use of the computer in robotics by finding out how to make things move; even using a home micro.

Ian McNaught-Davis looks at some of the thinking behind more complex computer-controlled devices.

We see, hear, and interpret the real world with ease. For the computer to recognise pictures or sound it is not so easy, but some robotic systems can identify objects or voices and act accordingly, and it's even possible to mimic these on the home microcomputer.