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Date	November 2017	Marks available	8	Reference code	17N.1.SL.TZ0.4
Level	SL	Paper	1	Time zone	no time zone
Command term	To what extent	Question number	4	Adapted from	N/A

Question

Social robots

When many people think of robots, they think of them in large-scale industrial settings, such as manufacturing automobiles (cars), but this is not always the case. Figure 2 shows an image of Robbi, the first social robot for the home. Robbi can be purchased for US$699.

Figure 2: Robbi

Robbi is connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is “the network of physical objects – or ‘things’ – embedded with electronics, software, sensors and network connectivity, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data”¹.

Robbi is able to carry out simple tasks, such as reminding someone when they have an important meeting, or turning the heating or air conditioning on or off in a person’s house while they are away.

¹ Wikipedia, “Internet of things” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things)

Identify two sensors that Robbi could use.

[2]

a.i.

Identify the steps Robbi would take in order to turn the air conditioning on and off.

[4]

a.ii.

It has been decided to provide only online access to documentation for Robbi. There will be no downloadable PDFs.

Analyse this decision.

[6]

Robbi’s website claims that, “Robbi is friendly, helpful and intelligent. He can sense and respond, and learns as you engage with him”. Some of the customers who own Robbi are considering whether they could extend the range of tasks Robbi could perform, or whether they should allow Robbi to make decisions for them.

To what extent should individuals rely on social robots like Robbi to act as decision-makers for them?

[8]

Markscheme

Answers may include:

Obstacle sensor
Temperature sensor / heat sensor
Light sensor
Proximity sensor
Humidity sensor
Sound sensor

Award [1] for identifying each sensor that Robbi could use up to a maximum of [2].

a.i.

Answers may include:

Detect the room temperature / senses the change in temperature.
Compare the temperature to a pre-set value.
If the temperature detected is more than the pre-set value, switch on the AC.
If the temperature detected is less than the pre-set value, switch off the AC.
Robbi collects data from temperature sensors at a set interval, and when a room reaches a desired temperature, Robbi lowers the intensity or turns the AC off.
If the owners have set a time for the AC to be turned off, Robbi sends a signal for all the AC units to be turned off.

Award [1] for identifying each step Robbi would take in order to turn on and off the air conditioning up to a maximum of [4].

a.ii.

Answers may include:

Only producing online data may mean that there is only one master copy of the information, which means that it will be more straightforward to update the information than if it is stored in more than one place (systems).
Having information in more than one place may lead to issues, such as version control, and staff may find that even relatively minor amendments require a significant amount of staff time and cost (systems).
The rapid rate of evolution of Robbi may mean that by the time the PDFs are produced, the next iteration will be released, making their production surplus to requirements (change).
The design of the website will be critical to the updating of the content. A poorly designed website may not be appropriate for using this method of updating documentation (systems).
Many users will prefer to have PDF documentation that they can download and use when they are not connected to the internet. Online documentation will require that the user is connected to the internet and may be less convenient to use (systems).
Using PDFs may require a well-organized library system where the previous versions of the PDF are stored, whereas meta-data trails may be used to show when the website is updated (systems).
Some functions of Robbi work without access to the internet (using the local network), so if the internet goes down, there is no access to the documentation (access, systems).

Keywords: skills, connectivity, access, change, systems

Answers may include:

Reasons why individuals could rely on robots such as Robbi to act as decision-makers for them: ·

Customers can log into Robbi from their internet or their mobile phone, which will give them a feeling of security that they have control over events/activities that are occurring remotely (systems).
With greater decision-making capabilities, Robbi can free up individuals so they can concentrate on less mundane activities (automation, systems).
Robbi is reflecting on the development of society as a whole. If the delegation of decision-making to robots such as Robbi is more common, this should not be an issue (values).

Reasons why individuals should not rely on robots such as Robbi to act as decision-makers for them:

Robbi may not be connected at all times, for example in power outages or a router failure (systems).
Robbi does not have human intuition, so customers could find Robbi is making decisions that are not appropriate for the situation.
If Robbi makes a bad decision, there may legal issues that may arise should there be a problem/accident, etc. (accountability, transparency, power).
Robbi could eventually reduce the decision-making capabilities of the customer (autonomy).
Robbi may not be seen as neutral by customers, and if used to supervise others, Robbi could be seen as a method of surveillance.
The data that is associated with Robbi may be highly sensitive, and there may be concerns about its security if it is easily accessible.
Decision-making can take place at a number of levels. Robbi may be appropriate for some tasks, but not for others. Customers must use their judgement when determining what constitutes an appropriate task for Robbi.
Robbi may make decisions that may not be considered to be ethical (values).

In part (c) of this question it is expected there will be a balance between the terminology related to digital systems and the terminology related to social and ethical impacts.

Keywords: automation, connectivity, social robots, change, power, systems, values, ethics, accountability, transparency, autonomy, decision-making, judgement

Refer to SL/ HL paper 1, part c markbands when awarding marks. These can be found under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials > Digital society markbands and guidance document.