日本将在2020年奥运会上使用机器人助手

Japan to Use Robot Assistants in 2020 Olympics

A robot designed to carry things moves quickly across a field to gather equipment at a sports event. The equipment, like javelins¹ and discuses, had been thrown by competitors.

Another robot moves a human sized screen on wheels. It is designed to permit virtual attendance at the event.

And, then there are the robots designed to look like the smiling, friendly creatures or mascots³ that act as Olympic Games representatives.

All these robots are part of preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games, in Tokyo, Japan.

Japanese car maker⁴ Toyota Motor Corporation presented the machines to reporters earlier this week. Toyota is a major supporter of the 2020 Olympic Games.

The mascot² robots have moving arms and legs, and their eyes change to the image of stars and hearts. They cannot speak at all or walk very well. But Tomohisa Moridaira, lead engineer, suggested several possibilities, such as getting the robot to hold the Olympic torch using magnets.

The “field support robot” is a small bus-shaped machine based on a Toyota ride-sharing vehicle still in development.

The field support robot can travel as fast as 20 kilometers per hour. It holds three cameras and one special sensor⁵ that lets it “see” its surroundings. Around the top of its body are special lights that brighten when the vehicle is active. Its artificial intelligence helps it avoid barriers. It is also able to vary its path in order to protect areas of grass.

However, it cannot go find the objects, which can weigh up to eight kilograms, or pick them up on its own. A person has to travel with the device, pick up the objects and put them in it.

Then, with a press of a button, the vehicles transport the equipment where it needs to go.

Takeshi Kuwabara supervised the robot’s development. He said it is designed to team robots and humans.

“Our aim was to leverage⁶ the strengths of both humans and robots,” he said.

Toyota’s robotics center in the United States developed the moving screen known as the T-TR1. It takes the car maker’s usual business of transportation to another level. It is a moving human-sized screen designed to represent people who cannot physically⁷ attend the games.

Like all the world’s major car makers⁸, Toyota uses robotics in production sites. But it has also designed human-like robots, including those that play musical instruments.

The Cue 3 is Toyota’s basketball-throwing robot. The general size and shape of a human, the Cue 3 sensors⁹ compute¹⁰ a three dimensional image of the basketball court the robot is in. Then its motors use that information to correctly angle the ball and determine the amount of force needed to shoot it into the basket. In other words, it scores a goal.

The Cue 3 is very good at this. The organization Guinness World Records recently honored it on its list for making 2,020 baskets in a row.

Toyota had already developed a large group of robots on wheels to perform house duties for old people and hospital patients. These machines will now also guide disabled guests to seating at the Olympics. The robots will also serve food and drinks at events.

The car maker plans to use the games to present its new vehicle technologies. These include buses fueled by a special kind of battery, and self-driving taxis. Toyota is competing with other car makers and technology companies to develop low cost, robot-controlled cars and electric vehicles.

The use of small cars to gather equipment at Olympics throwing events goes back to the 2008 Beijing Games. There, bright red, rocket-shaped cars collected objects like javelins and discuses.

At the 2012 London Games, the car maker BMW developed and operated a group of blue and orange smaller Mini Coopers to collect equipment. Small green robotic trucks performed the duty at the Rio games in 2016.

I’m Pete Musto. And I’m Caty Weaver¹¹.

Words in This Story

javelin(s) – n. an object that has a long straight handle and a sharp point that people throw as far as they can as a sport

discus(es) – n. a heavy flat round object that people throw as far as they can as a sport

screen – n. the usually flat part of a television or computer monitor that shows the images or text

torch - n. a long stick with material at one end that burns brightly

artificial intelligence – n. the power of a machine to copy intelligent human behavior

leverage – v. to use something valuable to get a desired result

three dimensional – adj. having or seeming to have length, width, and depth

in a row – n. following one after another

battery – n. a device that is placed inside a machine, such as a clock, toy, or car, to supply it with electricity

taxi(s) – n. a car that carries passengers to a place for an amount of money that is based on the distance traveled

1 javelins   

n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The heavy infantry blocks moved forward, throwing javelins just before the clash. 在正面交火之前，庞大的兵团会整体向前移动并投掷标枪。 来自互联网
• Elite mercenaries, originally from Aragon, armed with javelins and light armour. 加泰罗尼亚标枪兵为精锐雇佣部队，最初来自阿拉贡，装备标枪和轻甲。 来自互联网

2 mascot   

n.福神，吉祥的东西

参考例句：

• The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
• We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。

3 mascots   

n.吉祥物( mascot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the mascots was the platypus. 吉祥物一是鸭嘴兽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Information on all things Olympic, including logos, mascots, venues,and bid candidates. 所有事情奥林匹克，包括的标识语，吉祥物，地点，和出价候选人的信息。 来自互联网

4 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

5 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

6 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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

10 compute   

v./n.计算，估计

参考例句：

• I compute my losses at 500 dollars.我估计我的损失有五百元。
• The losses caused by the floods were beyond compute.洪水造成的损失难以估量。

11 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。