谷歌收购无人机公司

谷歌收购无人机公司 　　

In its latest purchase of high-tech¹ companies, Google has acquired a manufacturer of solar-powered drones that can stay in the air almost indefinitely, relaying broadband Internet connection to remote areas. It is seen as yet another step in the U.S.-based Web giant’s bid to bring Internet to the whole world.

　　Even as it experiments with self-driving cars on the ground, Google has been acquiring companies that manufacture pilotless flying vehicles - aircraft that can stay aloft for very long periods of time, such as solar-powered balloons and drones.

　　The Internet giant aims to bring Web access to remote areas of the world, which it says could help speed disaster relief or monitor environmental damage. And it says atmospheric² satellites could also provide high-resolution aerial images for its Google Earth service.

　　Its newest acquisition, the 20-employee, New Mexico-based company Titan Aerospace³, plans to manufacture a larger version of its successful solar-powered drone Solara.

　　Chief Technical Officer, Maximus Yaney, says it will be as efficient as a satellite, but much less expensive to operate - just one-hundredth of the cost.

　　“What we're focusing on from a capability⁴ perspective is being able to provide these kinds of services as an alternate or adding to satellite platform capabilities,” he said.

　　He says the new drone, Solara 50, will be able to fly almost 20 kilometers above the earth, providing the Internet signal in a radius⁵ of almost 420 kilometers... and stay aloft for almost five years.

　　“Solar-powered, you have the capability of staying up there effectively indefinitely, you're simply limited by the rechargeable batteries,” he said.

　　Other technology companies are also interested in the potential of drones. Earlier this year, Internet-based giant Facebook acquired the British drone manufacturer Ascenta, while the Internet retail company Amazon is experimenting with drones for package deliveries

1 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

2 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

3 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

4 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

5 radius   

n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限

参考例句：

• He has visited every shop within a radius of two miles.周围两英里以内的店铺他都去过。
• We are measuring the radius of the circle.我们正在测量圆的半径。