the car.
那辆车。
But then this third problem still remains, that of safety. Suppose that there is a road
不过这第三个问题,仍然是安全之本。想象一下有一条道路
accident involving one, or perhaps two, atomic cars, and that the atomic reactor or its
事故中,或者也许是两场、原子汽车,原子反应堆或其
protective covering were damaged. Any explosion would be equal to that of a very small
保护,包括被破坏。任何爆炸等于一个非常小的
atomic bomb. The effects of such an explosion would be felt for several miles around. As
原子弹。这一爆炸的影响会感到了几英里左右。作为
will be realised, this is perhaps the biggest problem of all to overcome. Is it possible to
将意识到,这或许是最大的问题来克服。是否有可能
make an atomic engine that will be really safe in every circumstance?
使原子引擎,会很安全的每个情况如何?
A-2
Improving Industrial Efficiency Through Robotics
提高工业效益进行机器人
Robots, becoming an increasingly prevalent adjunct in factories and industrial plants
机器人,日益普遍在工厂和辅助工业的植物
throughout the developed world, are programmed and engineered mechanical manipulators
在发达国家,通过编制程序和工程机械有效性
designed to perform industrial tasks without human intervention.
被设计来完成,无须人工干预工业生产任务。
Most of today 's robots are employed in the automotive industry, where they are programmed
大多数今天的机器人用于汽车工业,在那里他们被编程
to take over such assembly line operations as welding and spray painting automobile and
接管这样的流水线操作的焊接和喷漆汽车
truck bodies. They also load and unload hot, heavy metal forms used in machines casting auto
卡车的身体。它们也装卸的炽热、笨重的金属铸模的机器铸造汽车
and truck frames. In addition, they install bulbs in instrument panels.
和卡车框架。此外,他们在仪表板安装灯泡。
Robots, already taking over human tasks in the automotive field, are beginning to be seen,
机器人已经接管汽车的领域人类的工作,正在开始被见到,
although to a lesser degree, in other industries as well. There they build electric motors,
虽然达到一个较少的程度,在其他的工业中也。在其它领域机器人用来做电机,
small appliances, pocket calculators, and even watches. The robots used in nuclear power
小的用具,袖珍计算器,甚至是手表。在其它领域机器人用来核电
plants handle the radioactive materials, sparing human personnel exposure to radiation.
植物处理放射性材料,留下人员暴露于辐射。
These are the robots responsible for the reduction in job-related injuries in this new
这样的机器人负责中用来减少职业性伤害在这个新的
industry.
工业。
What makes a robot a robot and not just another kind of automatic machine? Robots differ
什么使机器变成机器人,而不是其他的自动化机器呢?机器人不同
from automatic machines in that after completion of one specific task, they can be
机器的自动完成某一特定任务后,
reprogrammed by a computer to do another one. As an example, a robot doing spot welding one
电脑重新编程去执行另一个。比如说,一个机器人做点焊
month can be reprogrammed and switched to spray painting the next. Automatic machines, on
月可以重新编程,下个月转向喷漆。自动化机器
the other hand, are less versatile; they are built to perform only one task. Robots are more
另一方面,很少多才多艺,它只是被制造成执行一项任务。机器人更
flexible and adaptable and usually more transportable than other machines.
灵活性和可移动,通常比其他机器。
Future Robots Will See, Touch, and Think
未来机器人将会看到,触觉,和思考
The next generation of robots will be able to see objects, will have a sense of touch, and
下一代机器人将可以看见物体,将有触觉,
will make critical decisions. Engineers skilled in microelectronics and computer technology
能够做关键性的决策。从事电子学和计算机技术
are developing artificial vision for robots. With the ability to "see," robots can identify
正在研制机器人的人工视觉。有了看的能力后,“机器人能识别
and inspect one specific class of objects out of a stack of different kinds of materials.
和检查一个特定的一类的物体在一堆不同类的材料。
One robot vision system uses electronic digital cameras containing many rows of light-
一种机器人的视觉系统用电子数码相机包含许多一排排的光-
sensitive materials. When light from an object such as a machine part strikes the camera,
敏感的材料。当光从一个物体如一个机械零件罢工镜头,
the sensitive materials measure the intensity of light and convert the light rays into a
测量敏感材料的光的强度、转换成一个光线