VOA标准英语2014--New Robotic Arm Can Grasp Moving Objects
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2014年(五月)
New Robotic Arm Can Grasp Moving Objects
An international team of engineers based in Switzerland built a robotic arm that learned to perform complex movements.
The term "robotic arm" covers a variety of mechanical devices — from robots that weld automotive chassis 1 to emotely controlled cranes on the International Space Station. In between are artificial arms developed for humanoid robots or people who have lost limbs.
Developed at the Federal Polytechnic 2 School of Lausanne, the device, built in cooperation with robotic manufacturer Simlab, is even capable of grabbing flying objects.
According to researcher Seungsu Kim, the arm's processor takes only milliseconds to calculate three primary parameters 3.
"First thing is to predict the whole trajectory 4," said Kim. "Second is finding the best catching 5 posture 6, and third is generation of arm motion."
But what most of us know how to do instinctively 7, the robotic arm had to learn from scratch.
While catching a tennis racquet is easy compared to catching, say, a half-empty bottle of water with liquid sloshing in flight, unpredictably changing its trajectory, researcher Ashwini Shukla says different objects were thrown in its direction many times until the processor learned to compare and predict flight patterns.
“We teach the robot how to reach towards an object from many different directions, and from that same time we teach it the coordination 8 it needs to have between the arm and the fingers to be able to successfully catch the object," said Shukla.
The team's leader, Professor Aude Billard, is especially proud of their achievement.
"This capacity to predict accurately 9 very complex trajectory of what we call the grasping point, which is non-linear ... that is the major scientific advance," said Billard.
Researchers hope their robotic arm may someday be used to grab and retrieve 10 fast moving and rotating space debris 11, whose rapdily increasing abundance threatens other functioning objects, including the International Space Station.
- The new parts may include the sheet metal,the transmission,or the chassis.新部件可能包括钢壳，变速器或底盘。
- Can chassis and whole-vehicle manufacturers co-exist peacefully?底盘企业和整车企业能相安无事吗？
- She was trained as a teacher at Manchester Polytechnic.她在曼彻斯特工艺专科学校就读，准备毕业后做老师。
- When he was 17,Einstein entered the Polytechnic Zurich,Switzerland,where he studied mathematics and physics.17岁时，爱因斯坦进入了瑞士苏黎士的专科学院，学习数学和物理学。
- We have to work within the parameters of time. 我们的工作受时间所限。
- See parameters.cpp for a compilable example. This is part of the Spirit distribution. 可编译例子见parameters.cpp.这是Spirit分发包的组成部分。
- It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
- The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。
- There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
- Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
- The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
- He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。
- As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
- The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。
- It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
- Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。
- He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
- The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。