Ch. 6.2 Assessing the Impact of Automation and Alternative Systems

Efficiency in Different Systems

• I want to buy a new pair of shoes• I consider two systems that will allow me to

get my new shoes:– going to a mall where I can find my new shoes by

walking into many different stores and comparing styles and prices

– go online (Amazon.com, Zappos.com, etc.) where I can shop different stores from the comfort of my own home

Efficiency in Different Systems• if the only purpose of going to the mall is to

buy new shoes, then walking from store to store and trying on several styles seems very inefficient

• however, going online to find a pair of shoes does not allow me to see and feel the product

• there are “pros” and “cons” to each of these systems– these pros and cons may be economic, social, or

environmental in nature

Mall Shopping Online Shopping

Pros Cons Pros Cons

Productivity

• productivity – the amount of output that is produced per unit of time– if you can increase productivity, you can

accomplish a task faster or do more tasks at the same time

• How can we make the task of buying new shoes more productive?

Increasing Productivity

• Mechanisms are made up of a combination of simple machines– example: a bulldozer is a combination of levers,

wheel & axles, pulleys, wedges, and screws

Increasing Productivity• Advanced mechanisms have replaced the use

of only simple machines in many areas of life– example: tunnel digging• The Brockville Tunnel, located in Ontario, was started in

1854 and was dug using simple machines such as shovels, picks, and ramps. It took several years to complete and employed hundreds of people.• The Niagara Tunnel was started in 2005 and was dug

using the tunnel-boring machine (TBM).• Had the TBM been around when the Brockville Tunnel

was dug, it could have been completed in just over a month.

Pros and Cons of Increasing Productivity

• Not all aspects of increasing productivity are positive:– in the tunnel example, the TBM allows the tunnel

to be dug faster with less people, meaning less jobs (economic and social issue)

– in the shoe example, shopping online decreases face-to-face personal interaction (social issue)

– in the tunnel issue, the TBM uses fossil fuels to operate, whereas the humans that dug the Brockville Tunnel used human power (environmental issue)

Mass Production

• in the past, many consumer goods were made by hand

• today, most good are produced on an assembly line in a process called mass production

• in mass production, each employee is given a small task to complete as the item moves by on a conveyor belt

Mass Production• each item made on an

assembly line is made faster and for less cost, and have little to no variability in how they turn out

• however, goods manufactured on an assembly line are often of lower quality than hand-crafted items

Automated Systems

• automated system – replacement of human workers with machines that are controlled by a computer

Automated Systems

• examples of automated systems:– automated car factories– automated systems that feed and water

thousands of chickens at a time on a poultry farm– the thermostat in your home maintains your

home’s temperature

Assessing a System• As the needs of society change, the existing

systems may no longer meet those needs.• A system may need to be changed to meet the

present need of society, or a new system may need to be implemented.

• Before a new system is developed (or an old system changed) the developers must evaluate the impact that new system will have on individuals, society, and the environment.

Using Criteria to Assess a System

• criterion (pl. criteria) – standard rule or test on which a decision of judgement can be based– often based on:• efficiency• safety• cost• environmental impact

Using Criteria to Assess a System

• quantitative assessment – analysis of numerical data– examples: • efficiency = (useful output work)/(input work)• “My car travels 10 km per litre of gas.”

• qualitative assessment – analysis made by observation– example:• “My car gets great gas mileage.”