世界上最具创意的机器人问世了

浙江杭州市富阳区新登中学 胡君祥

机器人手臂适合各种水平的生产员工使用，这有助于提高生产效率，减少伤害，鼓舞士气。现在，世界上最具创意的机器人手臂——UR5问世了。

题材科技文章词数 难度 建议用时新闻报道体裁465 ★★★ 8 分钟

难词探意

1. debut /΄debjuː/ n. 初次登台

2. cumbersome /΄kʌmbəsəm/ adj. 大而笨重的

3. integrate /΄ɪntɪɡreɪt/ v. 使合并

4. shield /ʃiːld/ v. 给……加防护罩

5. attendee /ˌæten΄diː/ n. 出席者.

After record growth in over 40 countries, Universal Robots' lightweight robotic arms are now making their US debut at this year's International Manufacturing Technology Show(IMTS)in Chicago.

The UR5 robotic arm manufactured by Universal Robots has been announced “the world's most innovative robot” by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The US audience will now see the award-winning robot—along with its big brother UR10—for the first time.

The UR5 and UR10 robotic arms are aimed at companies that thought robots were too expensive,cumbersome and hard to program and integrate in existing production. The lightweight, flexible UR5 and UR10 can work alongside personnel and generally require no safety shielding. The robotic arms are easily moved around the production area and present a plug-and-play solution; a simple user interface lets employees with no previous programming experience quickly set up and operate them

Universal Robots' chief customer officer,Thomas Visti, looks forward to introducing IMTS attendees to UR5 and UR10.

“Many companies worldwide have invested in UR robots to save manpower,whereas others have used them to boost product quality or productivity.Sometimes they are used in repetitive tasks to improve working conditions for employees.We see potential in all these applications in the US market.”

Instead of expensive sensor technology, the UR5 robotic arm uses a unique patented technology to measure electrical current in its joints to determine force and movement. This innovation has made robots less expensive than other automation solutions. This enables even small and mediumsized enterprises to automate production previously unthinkable.

“Small and medium-sized enterprises demand a fast return on investment. Besides the robot's low initial cost, it operates very cost-efficiently and is profitable in only six to eight months,” says Thomas Visti.

UR5 is a result of many years of intensive research in robotics. The six-axis robot arms can be used in many industries.

The CTO of Universal Robots explains how the robots were designed to be as user-friendly as possible. “We decided to make programming intuitive by developing a graphical user interface combined with a ‘teaching function’ allowing the user to simply grab the robot arm and show how a movement should be performed. The robot can be integrated into any production process very quickly. Our experience shows this is generally done in a few hours.”

The robots weigh as little as 40 lbs enabling them to be moved around the production area to perform different tasks. The UR5 can handle a load of up to five kilos, the UR10, 10 kilos respectively.A significant benefit is the robot's capability to operate with no safety shielding. As soon as an employee comes into contact with the robot arm and a force of at least 150 newton is exerted, the robot arm will automatically stop operating.

Reading Check

1. What can we know about the UR5 robotic arm?

A. It was produced by Universal Robots.

B. It is aimed at small companies.

C. It has won a number of awards.

D. It made its appearance in 40 countries.

2. What can we know from the last two paragraphs?

A. The UR10 is heavier than the UR5.

B. The robots perform one task at a time.

C. The robots can finish a task in a few minutes.

D. The UR10 can handle twice as much weight as the UR5.

3. What's the text mainly about?

A. An introduction to Universal Robots' new robots.

B. The difference between the UR5 and the UR10.

C. Why the UR5 and the UR10 were invented.

D. How to operate the UR5 and the UR10.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Many companies worldwide have invested in UR robots to save manpower, whereas others have used them to boost product quality or productivity.

【翻译】_________________________________

【点石成金】本句中的whereas意为“然而”。

主题应用·语库构建

Ⅰ. 热词积累

机器人robot/android/automaton

机器人编程语言robot programming language

机器人工厂robot factory

机器人视觉robot vision

机器人系统robot system

机器人工程学robotics engineering

Ⅱ. 美句背诵

1. 大多数移动机器人仍处在设计阶段。

Most mobile robots are still in the design stage.

2. 科幻小说常提到会说话的机器人。

Science fiction often mentions robots that can talk.

3. 机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。

The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.

4. 机器人逐渐替代了装配线上的工人。

Robots are replacing people on assembly lines.

5. 玩具机器人以急促的步伐向前移动。

The toy robot moved forward with quick jerky steps.

6. 在汽车制造厂里，生产线上的许多工作现在是由机器人来完成的。

In car factories, much of the work on the production line is now done by robots.

7. 工业机器人肯定与医务机器人不同。

An industrial robot must be different from a medical robot.

8. 机器人视觉伺服控制是机器人领域的一个研究热点。

Visual servo control of robots is a research hot spot in the field of robots.

9. 我喜欢和我的机器人朋友出去玩。

I love hanging out with my robot friends.

Ⅲ. 读后创写

假定你是李华， 正在英国某市接受英语培训。你了解到该市的科学博物馆将举办智能机器人展览。 请你根据所给提示，用英语给该博物馆工作人员写一封电子邮件咨询。 内容包括：

1. 参展的机器人的数量和主要功能；2. 有无机器人的表演或人机互动的比赛；3. 参观该展览是否需要预约。

注意：

1. 词数100左右（开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数）；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Sir or Madam,

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua