Robots Take to the Field|机器人足球大进击

by Brian Foden

Advances in robotics are happening at a rapid rate.

Imagine a team of soccer-playing robots challenging athletes of David Beckham's caliber and beating them. While this feat is still a long way off, the seed for this _(1)_ has been planted through an event called RoboCup. This competition was _(2)_ in 1997 with the lofty ambition of fielding a team of autonomous machines that could beat real World Cup champions by 2050.

Devoting an enormous amount of time and effort to creating robots with the skill and agility to beat their human _(3)_ may seem frivolous at first. This opinion is likely strengthened by the comical appearance of _(4)_ machines kicking a ball around an artificial field. However, the sporting nature of the initiative belies another, more serious motivation for RoboCup. The goal is to _(5)_ innovation and technological advancement in the area of artificial intelligence. Hidden behind the clumsiness of the robots is the fact that the technology that is _(6)_ to make them move without human control is incredibly sophisticated. Some indeed fall on the field after making a kick, yet the robots have the _(7)_ ability to get back to their feet all by themselves.

Since its inception, RoboCup has expanded to _(8)_ various categories that go far beyond amusement. One such category is RoboCup Rescue. This involves robots designed to assist in _(9)_ situations and handle dangerous jobs. Another noteworthy category is RoboCup @Home, where machines are judged on how well they perform everyday household tasks. This includes opening a refrigerator and _(10)_ items from inside. Still another, RoboCup Junior, is designed to promote interest in and knowledge of robotics in young people. There is little doubt that, thanks to competitions like RoboCup, the future of artificial intelligence is limitless.

(A) cover   (B) astounding  (C) grabbing    (D) awkward (E) utilized

(F) counterparts    (G) stimulate   (H) accomplishment  (I) emergency   (J) established

机器人足球大进击

机器人学的进展一日千里。

试想 1支会踢足球的机器人队伍挑战像戴维‧贝克汉这样水平的运动员并打败他们。虽然这项壮举还有很长一段路要走，但这项成就的种子已透过 1 项名为『机器人世界杯』的比赛播种而下。这项赛事是在 1997 年设立，他们的雄心壮志是要在 2050年之前，派出 1 队可以打败真正世界杯冠军的自动机器人上场比赛。

投入大量时间和努力创造具有技巧和灵敏度的机器人来打败人类对手乍听之下或许很无聊。这个想法可能会因笨拙的机器人在人造足球场上踢球的滑稽模样而更根深蒂固。然而，提倡运动的本质掩盖了举办机器人世界杯另 1 项更重要的动机。这项目标是要激发人们在人工智能领域上的创新和科技进展。隐藏在机器人笨拙动作背后的事实是：要让它们不靠人类操控而移动，所运用的科技是令人难以置信地精密。有些机器人确实会在踢完 1 球后倒坐在球场上，但他们有惊人的能力可以自己爬起来。

从开始以来，机器人世界杯已经扩展到包含各种不同的类别，远超出原来的娱乐性质。这样的其中 1 个类别是搜救机器人杯。这项比赛包括专门被设计来从事急难救助和处理危险工作的机器人。另外 1 项值得注意的种类是家庭机器人杯，这项赛事会评鉴机器人在处理日常家庭工作的表现。这包括开冰箱和从里面拿东西出来。还有 1 项是青少年机器人杯，这项比赛旨在推广青少年对机器人学的兴趣和知识。毫无疑问地，由于举办了像机器人世界杯这类的比赛，人工智能的未来发展无可限量。

答案：  1. (H)  2. (J)  3. (F)  4. (D)  5. (G)  

6. (E)  7. (B)  8. (A)  9. (I)  10. (C)

RCJ（RoboCup Junior，青少年机器人世界杯）是全球各地区及国际机器人科技教育专家，提供给青少年朋友 1 个结合教育和科技的竞赛项目，亦可说是以体育竞赛为主体的科技研究交流赛。青少年足球赛结合机械设计、程序撰写，发展青少年无限创意和潜能，使机器人能在场上进行比赛，从活动中探讨对科学知识的实践与了解。先后已有法国、瑞典、德国、英国、澳洲、加拿大、美国、日本、意大利、以及其他 20 多个国家举办。