瑞士发明集体飞行"机器小蜜蜂"

    Recently, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology's Institute have developped a robotic platform consisting of multiple single-propeller¹ machines that autonomously² dock with each other and take flight. Each vehicle is simply designed with wheels for ground motion, one propeller, a computer and infrared³ sensors⁴ that measure the flight angle. They join at random⁵ through magnetic links and drive around together.
    瑞士理工大学的研究人员近日研制出一种不需要人类控制就能够彼此识别并自主合作飞行的机器蜜蜂。这些机器蜜蜂由车轮、发动机、微型电脑和测量飞行角度的红外感受器组成。
    The independent unit can take off and land vertically⁶ and fly independently, but erratically⁷. Small wheels let them crawl around on the ground to locate each other.
    独立的机器蜜蜂个体无法有效控制自己的飞行装置进行飞行，它只能垂直起落和靠底部的车轮在地上“爬行”，寻找同伴。
    Once they've hooked up, though, they become capable of more efficient flight, communicating information from their altitude sensors via infrared to make flight more even by controlling roll and pitch. If one fails, the others can compensate⁸. And when they land, the robots can simply detach from each other and crawl away.
    只要一群机器蜜蜂成功找到彼此，他们就能够成为一个复杂的小型飞行器。每只机器蜜蜂都能够根据体内的平衡器用红外线识别系统判断在飞行中所要提供的动力，确保整个飞行团队平稳前进。如果有一只机器蜜蜂不慎掉队，其他机器能够迅速调整以保证飞行平稳。飞行结束后，它们会自动断开彼此的磁力连接，落到地上漫无目的地“爬来爬去"。

1 propeller   

n.螺旋桨，推进器

参考例句：

• The propeller started to spin around.螺旋桨开始飞快地旋转起来。
• A rope jammed the boat's propeller.一根绳子卡住了船的螺旋桨。

2 autonomously   

adv. 自律地，自治地

参考例句：

• To learn autonomously in the network environment is totally new to students. 基于网络环境下的自主学习对学生来说，是一种全新的学习方式。
• The QC-RS can operate autonomously or by remote control. QC-RS能实现自动操作或通过遥控来操作。

3 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

4 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

5 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

6 vertically   

adv.垂直地

参考例句：

• Line the pages for the graph both horizontally and vertically.在这几页上同时画上横线和竖线，以便制作图表。
• The human brain is divided vertically down the middle into two hemispheres.人脑从中央垂直地分为两半球。

7 erratically   

adv.不规律地，不定地

参考例句：

• Police stopped him for driving erratically. 警察因其驾驶不循规则而把他拦下了。 来自辞典例句
• Magnetitite-bearing plugs are found erratically from the base of the Critical Zone. 含磁铁岩的岩栓不规则地分布于关键带的基底以上。 来自辞典例句

8 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。