中國網(wǎng)站品牌欄目（頻道）
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A man talks to Raytron's communication robot "Chapit" at a demonstration during ROBOTECH, an exhibition on service robot manufacturing technologies,in Tokyo, July 28, 2010.(Agencies) |
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Robots that can chat, find misplaced glasses, draw aeroplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society. Robots, such as the sound-sensitive Chapit, answer simple questions and even joke with people to help the solitary fight loneliness and stay alert in old age. "Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to," said Kazuya Kitamura, a representative of the expo organizer. "Communication robots accompany people and don't mind listening to the same stories over and over again." While Chapit, a relatively simple robot, managed to attract a corporate partner, many researchers, such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto, a professor at the University of Tokyo, struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects. Matsumoto's "Personal Mobility Robot," equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons, using joysticks or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs. The robot can also help find misplaced spectacles by identifying them with a sensor. "We have developed a robot that can assist many people, but because of the high cost, we still haven't found a sponsor," said Matsumoto, who added that the cost of the machine, if mass-produced, would be comparable to that of a compact car. "In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project," he said. Other robots, such as the award-winning "DiGRO" can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children. The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures, keeping children company while parents work. Japan has one of the world's fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent. (Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a journalist at the China Daily Web site.) (Agencies) |
在日本東京日前舉辦的一個(gè)博覽會上，能與人交談、幫人找眼鏡、會畫飛機(jī)以及能陪孩子玩耍的機(jī)器人吸引了成千上萬的參觀者。日本研發(fā)出的這些新型機(jī)器人主要是為了適應(yīng)社會的需要。 其中像聲控型機(jī)器人Chapit等（能與人交流的）機(jī)器人能回答簡單提問，甚至?xí)c人逗笑，可以給人解悶，讓老年人保持活力。 博覽會組織方代表葛屋北村說：“日本很多老年人都是一個(gè)人生活，沒人說話。能與人交流的機(jī)器人可與人們做伴，同一個(gè)故事無論聽多少遍也沒關(guān)系。” 設(shè)計(jì)相對簡單的機(jī)器人Chapit吸引了一位公司合伙人的注意，但包括東京大學(xué)教授松本清在內(nèi)的很多研究人員則正在為高投入項(xiàng)目尋找贊助商。 松本清研發(fā)的“個(gè)人機(jī)動(dòng)機(jī)器人”配有四個(gè)照相機(jī)和一個(gè)可識別使用者重心的傳感器，這款機(jī)器人解決了傳統(tǒng)輪椅的不便，老年人無需再通過按按鈕、使用操縱桿或轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)車輪來四處走動(dòng)。 這款機(jī)器人還可以通過傳感器來幫人們找到弄丟的眼鏡。 松本清說：“我們已經(jīng)研發(fā)了一款可以幫助很多人的機(jī)器人，但由于成本昂貴，還沒有找到贊助商。”據(jù)他介紹，如果大批量生產(chǎn)，這款機(jī)器人的成本相當(dāng)于一輛小汽車。 他說：“在目前的經(jīng)濟(jì)環(huán)境下，很少有公司愿意投資成本這么高的項(xiàng)目。” 曾獲獎(jiǎng)的DiGRO等機(jī)器人可以為沒時(shí)間陪孩子的家長分憂。 這款機(jī)器人可以通過網(wǎng)絡(luò)找到簡單的圖像，然后把它畫下來，在家長出去上班的時(shí)候陪小孩玩。 日本是全球老齡化速度最快的國家之一。據(jù)日本政府預(yù)測，截至2050年，日本65歲以上的老年人占總?cè)丝诘谋壤龑⑦_(dá)40%。 相關(guān)閱讀 （中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Julie 編輯蔡姍姍） |
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Vocabulary: mass-produced: produced or manufactured (goods) in large quantities, esp. by machinery（大量生產(chǎn)的） compact car: 小型汽車 |
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