T3.2.1 Investigating new and emerging technologies Quiz: KS3 Design & Technology, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. What is an emerging technology?

   • An old technology that has been fully replaced and is no longer used at all
   • A technology that is sold only to museums and private collectors of old items
   • A technology used only in the workshop for cutting wood into small pieces
   • A new technology that is still developing and may affect future products

2. Which is an example of an emerging technology relevant to products?

   • A hand-cranked gramophone for playing records at parties
   • A pencil sharpener operated by a simple handle
   • Flexible displays that can bend without breaking
   • A wooden hammer with a single metal head

3. Why should designers investigate new and emerging technologies?

   • They mean that products no longer need to be tested before they are sold
   • They remove the need for any design specification at all in the project
   • They are always cheaper than all established methods used in the industry
   • They can offer new ways to meet user needs and improve products

4. What is a possible benefit of using a sensor in a product?

   • The product can respond automatically to changes in its environment
   • The product stops working when it gets warm in a room with the heating on
   • The product becomes impossible to switch on or off by the user at all
   • The product must always be controlled by a person using a manual switch

5. What is a microcontroller?

   • A paper chart used to record the readings from a test in the school lab
   • A small programmable chip that controls inputs and outputs in a product
   • A mechanical part that transfers movement along a shaft between two gears
   • A large machine used for cutting timber in a factory for the whole week

6. Which technology allows a product to be controlled from a phone or tablet?

   • Wireless connectivity such as Bluetooth
   • A manual gearbox linked to a crank
   • A pulley system driven by a rope
   • A hand-operated lever on a wooden frame

7. What is an actuator?

   • A paper template used to mark out parts on the material before cutting
   • A chart that records the speed of a moving product during a whole test run
   • An output device that causes movement, such as a motor or solenoid
   • An input device that detects light or sound in the room for the project

8. What does a designer need to consider about a new technology?

   • Only how many shops have the technology on display in the whole town
   • Only the number of years since it was first invented by the company
   • Its reliability, cost and whether users will find it helpful
   • Only the colour of the technology's packaging and its printed label

9. A product uses a light sensor to switch on a lamp at dusk. What is the sensor's role?

   • It acts as a switch that the user must always operate by hand each time
   • It acts as a power source that supplies all of the electricity for the lamp
   • It acts as an input that triggers the output when the light falls
   • It acts as an output that produces light for the room during the day

10. Why might a designer use an LED rather than an old bulb?

    • LEDs use less power and last longer for the same light output
    • LEDs cannot be controlled by any electronic system used in a product
    • LEDs are only used for decoration with no practical purpose whatsoever
    • LEDs always produce much more heat than old bulbs for the same output

11. Which is a risk of adopting a new technology too early?

    • It will certainly make the product cheaper for buyers in every shop
    • It may be unreliable or hard to support if it is not yet mature
    • It removes the need to test the product at all before it is released
    • It will always be accepted immediately by every user of the product

12. What is a 'smart' product?

    • A product that cannot be switched on by any user in any situation at all
    • A product that responds to inputs and can adapt its behaviour
    • A product that is made from very expensive materials only for display
    • A product that is always sold in a shiny box for the gift market today

13. Why do designers consider the environmental impact of new technology?

    • New technology never uses any energy or materials at all in its life
    • New technology has no effect on people or places at all in any case or place
    • New technology can use energy and resources that affect the planet
    • New technology is always made from recycled materials in the factory

14. Which is a common input device in a robot?

    • A distance sensor that detects objects ahead
    • A speaker that plays sounds into the room
    • A motor that turns a wheel when power is applied
    • A display that shows the robot's battery level

15. What is the purpose of a feedback loop in an intelligent product?

    • To stop all outputs as soon as any input is detected anywhere in the room
    • To use sensor readings to adjust the output and keep it on target
    • To send a message to the designer about the product's colour and finish
    • To repeat the same output no matter what the sensor reads in a test

16. A thermostat turns a heater on when the room gets cold. What type of control is this?

    • A manual system that needs a person to switch it
    • An open loop system with no sensing at all
    • A passive system with no moving parts
    • A feedback control system

17. What is an advantage of using an open source microcontroller board?

    • It cannot be connected to any sensor or output device in any project
    • It is far more expensive than any closed system on the market today
    • It is widely supported and suits programming for pupils and makers
    • It can only be programmed by one specific company that owns the rights

18. Why is it important to test new technology in a product prototype?

    • To check whether the packaging design is attractive to the buyers
    • To decide the full name of the technology's supplier for the product
    • To prove that the technology never needs any maintenance at any time
    • To confirm it performs reliably under the conditions of real use

19. Which emerging technology might help a product monitor its own condition?

    • A paper label listing the product's original price in the shop window
    • A wooden frame that holds the product firmly in place on the shelf
    • A printed brochure describing the product's history and its makers
    • Built-in sensors that report wear or faults to the user

20. A product's battery lasts 12 hours and a new version lasts 18 hours. What is the percentage increase?

    • 50 per cent
    • 18 per cent
    • 150 per cent
    • 6 per cent

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