VOA常速英语2014--家庭机器人是下一个新事物吗?

 

Family Robots – The Next Big Thing?

WASHINGTON—

Robots that can help us with daily chores like cooking and cleaning are a long way off, but automatons¹ that serve as family companions may be much closer. Researchers in the United States, France, Japan and other countries are racing² to build robots that can entertain and perform some simpler tasks for us.

Several years after it was introduced to the world, the advanced Japanese humanoid robot Asimo is still serving only as a demonstration³ and experimentation⁴ platform. Even if available for purchase, it would be too expensive for ordinary families.

尖端的日本类人机器人阿西莫面世7年后仍处于展示和实验平台的阶段，即使能上市，但对普通家庭来说仍太贵。

It is much easier and cheaper to build a robot like Jibo, which uses simple movements and has the ability to interact with people through sound, pictures and touch.

制作Jibo这样的机器人变得更简单和便宜，Jibo使用简单的动作，能用声音、图片和触摸与人进行交流。

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Cynthia Breazeal created Jibo initially⁵ as a platform for exploring how people communicate with technology.

马萨诸塞科技研究所的研究员辛西娅·布雷齐尔制造Jibo最初的目的是探索人类如何和科技进行沟通。

“Jibo as a robot is something that can move, with cameras that can move and see you and interact with you like a living thing, so to speak. It can bring content to life off the screen in an entirely⁶ new way,” explained Brezeal.

“Jibo这样的机器人可以运动，上面的摄像头可以移动，能看到你，像个活物一样和你交流，能以全新的方式给屏幕外的生活带来内容。”

Jibo can remind you about appointments, take photos, entertain people and tell stories to children.

Jibo可以提醒你各种安排、拍照、供人娱乐并给孩子讲故事。

Breazeal said it also incorporates touch-sensitive technology.

布雷齐尔说Jibo还融合了触觉敏感技术。

“People often communicate through touch, so they might pat Jibo if it does something that they like and Jibo can actually learn from that,” said Breazeal.

“人们通常通过触摸来交流，所以如果Jibo做些人喜欢的事就会拍拍它，Jibo能明白这个的。”

Therapists at Amici di Nico Autism Center, in Lecce, Italy, use a small talking robot to treat autistic children.

意大利莱切埃米希迪尼克自闭症中心的理疗专家使用一台小的讲话机器人来治疗自闭儿童。

11-year old Marco has shown great improvement in focusing and communication since he started playing with the robot that carefully keeps track of the child's behavior, said engineer Giuseppe Palestra.

11岁的马克自从和这台机器人玩耍以来，其关注力和沟通能力有了很大提高，这台机器人能追踪孩子的行为，工程师Giuseppe Palestra如是说。

"We would like to be one step ahead of state of the art, so that we can make the human-robot interaction better, and let's say 'humanize' the interaction between the robot and the child," said Palestra.

“我们希望能再进一步实现最先进技术，这样就能进一步改良类人机器人的互动能力，让机器人和孩子之间的互动更人性化。”

Researchers say they want to develop robots that can be programmed for individual patients, because each child reacts differently to outside stimuli⁷.

研究者说他们希望开发专门为单个的患者设计的机器人，因为每个孩子对外界刺激的反应都不一样。

French researcher Pierre Lebeau’s family robot Keecker was designed as an entertainment platform that can follow its owner around.

法国研究者利比的家庭机器人Keecker的设计初衷是能让它作为娱乐平台并跟踪周围的主人。

“I came up with the idea of a computer with a projector⁸ inside and a great sound system and a camera, something that can move and go to any room to give me a kind of TV-like experience, but anywhere I want without the cables and the complexity,” said Lebeau.

“我想到设计有内部投影仪、大的声音系统和摄像头的电脑，希望它能移动，到任何房间里去给我看电视那样的体验，但我不希望用电缆，不希望太复杂。”

Researchers say robots intended for entertainment may soon be on the market with prices ranging from about $500 to $5,000 - still expensive for ordinary buyers. Therapeutic⁹ robots are still in the experimental phase but they too point to what we can expect from artificial intelligence in the near future.

研究者称用于娱乐的机器人将很快面市，价格在500美元到5000美元不等，这对普通消费者来说仍太贵。理疗机器人仍在研发阶段，但我们将在不远的未来能期待看到人工智能。

1 automatons   

n.自动机，机器人( automaton的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These docile lunatic automatons are no more trouble to their guards than cattle. 对警卫来说，这些驯良的，机器人般的疯子和家畜一样不会带来多大的麻烦。 来自辞典例句
• For the most part, automatons are improved while they are off. 对大多数移动机器来讲，它们是在关机状态下得以改良的。 来自互联网

2 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

5 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

6 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

7 stimuli   

n.刺激（物）

参考例句：

• It is necessary to curtail or alter normally coexisting stimuli.必需消除或改变正常时并存的刺激。
• My sweat glands also respond to emotional stimuli.我的汗腺对情绪刺激也能产生反应。

8 projector   

n.投影机，放映机，幻灯机

参考例句：

• There is a new projector in my office.我的办公室里有一架新的幻灯机。
• How long will it take to set up the projector?把这个放映机安放好需要多长时间？

9 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。