The AI robot dog that's training to explore caves on Mars

廣東 謝浩英

題材機器狗 新聞報道體裁 文章詞數 建議用時313 6分鐘

難詞探意

1.exploration /,ekspl?'re??n/ n.探測

2.virtual /'vз?t?u?l/ adj.虛擬的；模擬的

3.tunnel /'t?nl/ n.隧道；地道

4.radiation /,re?di'e??n/ n.輻射

Marsexplorationis going to the dogs.Scientists are equipping four-legged, animal-mimicking robots with artificial intelligence (AI) and sensing equipment to help them explore caves on Mars.

In a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) held online, researchers introduced their Mars Dogs.The new robots are equipped with sensors that allow them to avoid obstacles, choose between various paths and buildvirtualmaps of buriedtunnelsfor operators at home base.Traditional Mars explorers are limited mostly to flat surfaces, but many scientifically interesting Martian regions are only reachable by crossing very rough land or going down below ground.Walking robot “dogs” are well-suited for such challenges—even if they fall down, they can get back up again.A Mars Dog would also be roughly 12 times lighter than current rovers and would be capable of traveling much faster, reaching normal walking speeds of 3 mph (5 km/h) during tests.

On Mars, caves may offer shelter to future human colonies, providing natural protection against deadly UV radiation, extreme cold and intense dust storms that can last for weeks.Caves may also harbor evidence of life from Mars' distant past, or even provide a current home for organisms living deep underground, the researchers said at AGU.

Legged robots that can walk around rocks, lower themselves into caves and select a path—while also gathering measurements and building a map of what they “see”—could offer scientists new opportunities to detect signs of life beyond Earth.

The Mars Dog also uses AI to learn which structures to avoid, and to identify objects that may be of scientific interest, while a communication module allows the robot to transfer data to the surface while it's exploring underground.“These behaviors could one day enable revolutionary scientific missions to take place on the Martian surface and subsurface,” the scientists said at AGU.

Reading Check

1.What did researchers do at the online meeting of AGU according to paragraph 2?

A.They discussed the latest robot models.

B.They made a plan for Mars exploration.

C.They gave an introduction to Mars Dogs.

D.They tested the walking speed of Mars Dogs.

2.Why can Mars Dogs avoid obstacles?

A.They are equipped with sensors.B.They have special smell senses.

C.They have four automatic legs.D.They are controlled remotely.

3.What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?

A.The advantages of legged robots.

B.The function of caves on Mars.

C.The equipment of the robotic dogs.

D.The organisms living underground.

Language Study

熟詞生義

On Mars, caves may offer shelter to future human colonies, providing natural protection against deadly UV radiation, extreme cold and intense dust storms that can last for weeks.在火星上，洞穴可能為未來的人類提供避難所，為抵御致命的紫外線輻射和可能持續數周的極端寒冷和強烈的沙塵暴提供自然保護。

last v.持續

e.g.The meeting only lasted (for) a few minutes.會議只開了幾分鐘。