Intelligent system hardware, computational thinking and communicating system logic: HSC Enterprise Computing Intelligent Systems
“Investigate the hardware used in an intelligent system, including biometrics, haptics, touch and gesture, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), voice and sound, microcontrollers, and sensors, actuators and motors; explore how computational thinking can be integrated into the design and development of an intelligent system, including decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms; communicate the logical processes performed by an intelligent system by using flowcharts, data flow diagrams and infographics”
Intelligent systems sense with biometrics, touch, gesture, voice and sensors, decide with microcontrollers or processors, and act through actuators, motors, haptics, sound and VR/AR. Computational thinking (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithms) structures their design, and flowcharts, DFDs and infographics communicate their logic to technical and non-technical audiences.
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What this dot point is asking
You need to know the hardware that lets intelligent systems sense, decide and act; apply computational thinking to design them; and communicate their logic in flowcharts, data flow diagrams (DFDs) and infographics.
The answer
Hardware in intelligent systems
| Hardware | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Biometrics | Identify people by physical or behavioural traits | Fingerprint, face, iris or voice recognition for secure access |
| Haptics | Communicate through touch (vibration, force feedback) | Phone alerts, VR controllers, remote surgery tools |
| Touch and gesture | Input by touching or moving | Touchscreens, gesture-controlled displays, hand tracking |
| VR/AR | Immersive or overlaid visual interfaces | VR training simulators, AR maintenance instructions |
| Voice and sound | Microphones for speech input, speakers for output | Voice assistants, spoken navigation |
| Microcontrollers | Small single-chip computers running control logic | Arduino-style boards in smart devices |
| Sensors, actuators and motors | Sense the environment (temperature, light, motion, GPS) and act on it (motors, valves, locks) | Robot vacuums, irrigation valves, automatic doors |
The general pattern is input (sensors) to processing (microcontroller or processor running rules or models) to output (actuators, motors, displays, haptics), often with network connections to the cloud.
Computational thinking in design
- Decomposition: break the system into smaller parts (sensing, deciding, acting, logging, alerting).
- Pattern recognition: find similarities with known problems and repeated situations to reuse solutions.
- Abstraction: keep only the details that matter (a thermostat needs temperature and target, not the room's furniture).
- Algorithms: write precise step-by-step logic, including decisions and loops, then test it.
Communicating logical processes
- Flowcharts show the sequence of steps, decisions (diamonds) and loops in an algorithm. Best for control logic.
- Data flow diagrams show how data moves between external entities, processes, and data stores via data flows. A context diagram shows the whole system as one process; a level 1 DFD breaks it into main processes.
- Infographics summarise how a system works for non-technical audiences using icons, simple steps and key numbers.
A smart irrigation system for a school oval.
- Hardware: soil moisture sensors, a rain sensor, a microcontroller with Wi-Fi, solenoid valves (actuators).
- Decomposition: read sensors, check the weather forecast, decide, open or close valves, log water use.
- Abstraction: only moisture level, forecast rain and time of day matter.
- Algorithm: IF moisture below 25% AND no rain forecast in 12 hours AND time is between 4 am and 6 am THEN open valves for 20 minutes, ELSE keep closed. Repeat every 15 minutes.
- Communicate: a flowchart for the technician, a DFD showing data from sensors and the weather service to the control process and the water-use log, and an infographic for the school newsletter showing water saved.
- Confusing sensors and actuators
- Sensors are inputs; actuators are outputs.
- Drawing a flowchart when asked for a DFD
- DFDs show data movement, not decisions or sequence.
- Naming computational thinking steps without applying them
- Apply each one to the scenario.
Practice questions
Original practice questions graded from foundation to exam level, each with a full worked solution. Try them before revealing the solution.
foundation3 marksFor a smart doorbell, identify one sensor, one actuator and the role of the microcontroller.Show worked solution →
- Sensor: a passive infrared motion sensor (or camera or button) detects a visitor.
- Actuator: a speaker or chime (or an electronic door lock) produces output.
- Microcontroller: reads the sensor inputs, runs the program that decides what to do (record video, send a notification) and drives the outputs.
Marking guide: 1 mark each.
core4 marksApply computational thinking to the design of an automated library book-return system.Show worked solution →
- Decomposition: break the system into scanning the book, updating the loan record, sorting the book into a bin and printing a receipt.
- Pattern recognition: every return follows the same sequence, and books can be sorted by call number range like existing shelving rules.
- Abstraction: ignore details such as the book's colour or title length; keep only the barcode, borrower ID and destination shelf.
- Algorithms: write the step-by-step logic: scan barcode, look up loan, mark returned, calculate any fine, move the conveyor to the correct bin, print a receipt.
Marking guide: 1 mark per computational thinking element applied.
exam6 marksAn aged care facility uses a fall-detection system: wearable sensors detect sudden movement, and if the resident does not respond to a haptic vibration within 30 seconds, staff are alerted. Draw or describe a flowchart of this logic, and explain how an infographic could communicate the system to residents' families.Show worked solution →
Flowchart (described).
- Start.
- Read accelerometer data continuously.
- Decision: sudden drop detected? If no, return to step 2.
- If yes, activate haptic vibration on the wearable and start a 30-second timer.
- Decision: resident pressed "I'm OK" before the timer ends? If yes, log the event and return to step 2.
- If no, send an alert with the resident's room and location to staff devices.
- Decision: staff acknowledged within 2 minutes? If no, escalate to the supervisor.
- Log the event. End (return to monitoring).
Infographic for families. A simple visual with three steps and icons ("1. The watch senses a fall", "2. It vibrates to check on your loved one", "3. If there is no reply in 30 seconds, staff are alerted"), response-time statistics and a note on privacy (what data is recorded and who can see it). It suits a non-technical audience better than a flowchart.
Marking guide: 4 marks for a flowchart with correct decisions, loops and alert path, 2 marks for an audience-appropriate infographic description.