VOA慢速英语2020 新加坡研究人员开发出具有触觉的电子皮肤

Singapore researchers say they have developed a form of "electronic skin" that can recreate a sense of touch.

新加坡研究人员表示，他们开发出了一种可以再造触觉的“电子皮肤。”

The developers hope their invention will give people with prosthetic hands the ability to identify different objects.

开发人员希望他们这个发明可以赋予假肢使用者识别不同物体的能力。

A team from the National University of Singapore created the skin device, which measures 1 square centimeter. The system contains 100 small sensors¹ that attempt to recreate things like texture², temperature and even pain.

新加坡国立大学的一个团队研发出了这种皮肤设备，其尺寸为1平方厘米。该系统包含100个小型传感器，这些传感器试图重现纹理、温度甚至疼痛等。

The researchers call the device Asynchronous Coded Electronic Skin, or ACES³. They say it can process information faster than the human nervous system.

研究人员将该设备称为异步编码电子皮肤。他们称其信息处理速度超过了人类神经系统。

Machine learning methods trained the device to recognize 20 to 30 different textures⁴. It can even correctly read Braille letters 90 percent of the time, the developers say.

机器学习方法训练该设备识别二三十种纹理。开发人员表示，它识别盲文的正确率甚至能够达到90%。

Research team leader Benjamin Tee told the Reuters news agency that the system does not require movement to work. "Humans need to slide to feel texture. But in this case the skin, with just a single touch, is able to detect textures of different roughness."

研究小组负责人本杰明·蒂对路透社表示，该系统无需移动就能工作。“人类需要滑动才能感觉到质感。但是这种电子皮肤只需要轻轻一按，就能检测出不同粗糙度的质地。”

A demonstration⁵ showed that the device could identify the difference between a soft, squishy ball and a solid plastic one.

演示表明该设备可以识别出湿软的球和坚硬的塑料球之间的区别。

"When you lose your sense of touch, you essentially⁶ become numb⁷... and prosthetic users face that problem," Tee said. "So by recreating an artificial version of the skin, for their prosthetic devices, they can hold a hand and feel the warmth and feel that it is soft... "

蒂表示：“当你失去触觉时，你本质上就会变得麻木。而假肢使用者也将面临这个问题。所以通过给他们的假肢设备再造一种人工皮肤，他们就能在握手时感受到温暖和柔软。”

Tee said his idea for the device came partly from the movie Star Wars, when character Luke Skywalker loses his right hand and it is replaced with a robotic one. In the film, the new hand is able to experience touch sensations just like the real one.

蒂表示，他设计该设备的理念出自于电影《星球大战》，当其中的角色卢克·天行者失去右手时，取而代之的是机械手。在这部电影中，这只新的机械手可以像人手一样感受到触觉。

The artificial skin technology is still going through experiments and development. But Tee said there had already been a lot of interest in the system, especially from the medical community.

这种人造皮肤技术仍在试验和开发当中。但是蒂表示，该系统已经引起了多方关注，尤其是来自医学界的关注。

Tee said similar inventions that his team has developed include see-through skin that can repair itself when torn and a material for wearable electronic devices that gives off light.

蒂表示，他的团队已经开发出类似发明，包括能够在撕裂时自我修复的透明皮肤，以及一种可用于可穿戴设备的发光材料。

I'm Bryan Lynn.

我是布莱恩·林恩。

1 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

2 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

3 aces   

abbr.adjustable convertible-rate equity security (units) 可调节的股本证券兑换率；aircraft ejection seat 飞机弹射座椅；automatic control evaluation simulator 自动控制评估模拟器n.擅长…的人( ace的名词复数 )；精于…的人；（ 网球 ）（对手接不到发球的）发球得分；爱司球

参考例句：

• The local representative of ACES will define the local area. ACES的当地代表将划定当地的范围。 来自互联网
• Any medical expenses not covered by ACES insurance are the sole responsibility of the parents. 任何ACES保险未包括的医疗费用一律是父母的责任。 来自互联网

4 textures   

n.手感( texture的名词复数 )；质感；口感；（音乐或文学的）谐和统一感

参考例句：

• I'm crazy about fabrics textures and colors and designs. 我喜欢各式各样的纺织物--对它的质地，色彩到花纹图案--简直是入了迷。 来自辞典例句
• Let me clear up the point about the textures. 让我明确了一点有关的纹理。 来自互联网

5 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。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。