Chinese tech company develops robot dogs 中国科技公司研发机器狗

曹冬梅

隨着人工智能的发展，近年来，中国的机器人市场进入高速增长期，机器人产业取得了令人瞩目的成就。中国研发的新一代阿尔法狗，行走速度可达每小时15公里，成为行走速度最快的机器狗。

It reacts quickly， obeys commands and doesnt leave unpleasant surprises on the floor. This is the AlphaDog. The high?tech dog uses sensors and Artificial Intelligence （AI） technology to learn about its environment， and can even be taken for walks. “Its really very similar to a real dog，” says Ma Jie， chief technology officer at Weilan， the company behind the product.

The robot dog， which moves at a speed of almost 15 kilometres per hour， is the fastest on the market. With four metal legs， it is more stable than a real dog. The robot can predict the friction （摩擦力） and height of the ground to adjust itself and adapt to the environment. The creators are using 5G technology， super?fast Internet speeds with immediate reaction times， to make the robot operate autonomously.

As China seeks to upskill its workforce， the country has been making huge investments in robotics and AI. Robots are already used to deliver parcels， serve in restaurants， offer information at stations and even take throat swabs for COVID?19 tests. In the first month of sales， more than 1，800 AlphaDogs have been sold out， despite the high price of 16，000 yuan. Orders are mostly from computer developers， tech geeks （科技迷）， and also kids， who really seem to like it.

The Weilan workshop is staffed by young tech enthusiasts， filled with pencil design sketches and a central obstacle route of stairs and slopes for the machines to move on in testing. Developers there hope future uses of their four?legged friend could be conducive to the visually impaired. “To help the disabled is an important developing direction for us，” says Ma. “When the robot dog has the function of vision， hearing and dialogue， it can easily interact with disabled people， and lead them to the supermarket or the bus.”

Future software updates will include the dog “barking”—and beyond that， even add human voices to allow conversations between pet and owner. There is also a larger enterprise dog model， designed for industrial inspections of machinery or pipes. The next generation of the AlphaDog in pet form could also introduce personalities to make them look like dogs more， as well as extend its somewhat brief battery life.

[Reading][Check]

1. What can we know about the robot dog？

A. It is the most advanced robot. B. It never disappoints its owner.

C. It can adjust itself automatically. D. It has been used as a popular pet.

2. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 3？

A. Summarize the previous paragraph.

B. Provide some advice for the readers.

C. Add some background information.

D. Introduce a new topic for discussion.

3. What does the underlined word “conducive” in paragraph 4 probably mean？

A. Important. B. Beneficial. C. Essential.  D. Relative.

4. What can we expect of the AlphaDog in the future？

A. It can communicate with people. B. It may join in researching software.

C. It could help extend the battery life. D. It might take the place of real dogs.

[Language][Study]

Text?centered chunks

obey commands 服从命令

be similar to 与……类似

at a speed of 以……的速度

adapt to the environment 适应环境

seek to do 试图去做

make huge investments in 大量投资于

despite the high price of 尽管……的高价

have the function of 有……的功能

interact with 与……沟通

add...to 把……加入……

allow conversations between pet and owner 使得宠物和主人对话

be designed for 专门为……而设计的

as well as 除……之外;也;还