外刊阅读：Robots will pick soft fruit
现在的农业机械很先进，但是很多质地柔软的水果和蔬菜还是需要人工采摘，而愿意当采摘工的人越来越少。近年来，应用了人工智能的农业采摘机器人开始崭露头角，有望逐步取代人力采摘。
Robots will pick soft fruits and vegetables soon
by Nell Lewis
It takes a certain nimbleness（敏捷） to pick a strawberry or a salad. While crops like wheat and potatoes have been harvested mechanically for decades, many fruits and vegetables have proved resistant to automation. They are too easily bruised, or too hard for heavy farm machinery to locate.
strawberry /ˈstrɔːb(ə)ri/ n. 草莓
salad /ˈsæləd/ n. 能做沙拉的蔬菜、能生吃的蔬菜
wheat /wiːt/ n. 小麦
harvest /ˈhɑːvɪst/ v./n. 收获、收割
mechanically /məˈkænɪk(ə)li/ adv. 以机械方式（由mechanical加后缀-ly变成副词）
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
resistant /rɪˈzɪst(ə)nt/ adj. 抵抗的、不受影响的（由resist加后缀-ant变成形容词）
automation /ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 自动化（由automate加后缀-ion变成名词）
bruise /bruːz/ v. 擦伤、碰伤
machinery /məˈʃiːn(ə)ri/ n. 机械设备
locate /ləʊˈkeɪt/ v. 定位
But recently, technological developments and advances in machine learning have led to successful trials of more sensitive and dexterous（灵巧的） robots, which use cameras and artificial intelligence to locate ripe fruit and handle it with care and precision.
technological /ˌteknəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ adj. 技术的、科技的（由technology加后缀-ical变成形容词）
advance /ədˈvɑːns/ n. 进步
lead to 导致、带来
trial /traɪəl/ n. 试验（由try加后缀-al变成名词）
sensitive /ˈsensɪtɪv/ adj. 敏感的
artificial /ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃ(ə)l/ adj. 人工的、人造的
intelligence /ɪnˈtelɪdʒ(ə)ns/ n. 智力、智能
ripe /raɪp/ adj. 成熟的
handle /ˈhænd(ə)l/ v. 处理
precision /prɪˈsɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 准确、细致
Developed by engineers at the University of Cambridge, the Vegebot is the first robot that can identify and harvest iceberg lettuce – bringing hope to farmers that one of the most demanding crops for human pickers could finally be automated.
Cambridge /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/ n. 剑桥
identify /aɪˈdentɪfaɪ/ v. 识别、辨认出
iceberg /ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/ lettuce /ˈletɪs/ 冰山生菜、卷心生菜
demanding /dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ/ adj. 要求多的、耗时费力的
picker /ˈpɪkə(r)/ n. 采摘者、采摘工（由pick加上表示人的后缀-er）
automate /ˈɔːtəmeɪt/ v. 自动化、自动处理
First, a camera scans the lettuce and, with the help of a machine learning algorithm（算法） trained on more than a thousand lettuce images, decides if it is ready for harvest. Then a second camera guides the picking cage on top of the plant without crushing it. Sensors feel when it is in the right position, and compressed（压缩） air drives a blade through the stalk at a high force to get a clean cut.
scan /skæn/ v. 扫描
image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ n. 图片、照片
crush /krʌʃ/ v. 压坏、压伤
sensor /ˈsensə(r)/ n. 传感器
drive /draɪv/ v. 推动、驱动
blade /bleɪd/ n. 刀刃
stalk /stɔːk/ n. 茎、秆
Its success rate is high, with 91% of the crop accurately classified, according to a study published in July. But the robot is still much slower than humans, taking 31 seconds on average to pick one lettuce. Researchers say this could easily be sped up by using lighter materials.
rate /reɪt/ n. 率、比率
accurately /ˈækjərətli/ adv. 准确地（由accurate加后缀-ly变成副词）
classify /ˈklæsɪfaɪ/ v. 分类、归类（由class加后缀-ify变成动词）
publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ v. 发表
researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究者（由research加上表示人的后缀-er）
speed up 加快
material /məˈtɪəriəl/ n. 原材料
With the world's population expected to climb to 9.7 billion in 2050 from 7.7 billion today, agriculture is under pressure to meet rising demand for food production. Added pressures from climate change, such as extreme weather, shrinking agricultural lands and the depletion（消耗） of natural resources, make innovation and efficiency all the more urgent.
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十亿
agriculture /ˈæɡrɪkʌltʃə(r)/ n. 农业
pressure /ˈpreʃə(r)/ n. 压力
meet /miːt/ v. 满足
production /prəˈdʌkʃ(ə)n/ n. 生产
extreme /ɪkˈstriːm/ adj. 极端的
shrink /ʃrɪŋk/ v. 缩小
agricultural /ˌæɡrɪˈkʌltʃ(ə)r(ə)l/ adj. 农业的（由agriculture加后缀-al变成形容词）
resource /ˈriːsɔːs/ n. 资源
innovation /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 创新
efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nsi/ n. 高效利用、效能
all the more 更加、愈发
"Agriculture robots are expected to have a higher operating speed and accuracy than traditional agriculture machinery, which shall lead to significant improvements in production efficiency," says Rakhi Tanwar, principal analyst of BIS Research.
operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 操作、运作
accuracy /ˈækjərəsi/ n. 准确、准确度
significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/ adj. 显著的
principal /ˈprɪnsəp(ə)l/ adj. 最重要的、首席的
analyst /ˈænəlɪst/ n. 分析师
Robots could also lead to more sustainable farming practices. They could enable growers to use less water, less fuel, and fewer pesticides（杀虫剂）, as well as producing less waste, says Tanwar.
sustainable /səˈsteɪnəb(ə)l/ adj. 可持续的（由sustain加后缀-able变成形容词）
practice /ˈpræktɪs/ n. 实践、做法
enable /ɪˈneɪb(ə)l/ v. 使得、使能够（由able加上前缀en-变成动词）
grower /ˈɡrəʊə(r)/ n. 种植者（由grow加上表示人的后缀-er）
as well as = and also
At the moment, a field is typically harvested once, and any unripe fruits or vegetables are left to rot. In contrast, a robot could be trained to pick only ripe vegetables and, working around the clock, it could come back to the same field multiple times to pick any stragglers（掉队者）.
at the moment = now
typically /ˈtɪpɪk(ə)li/ adv. 往往、常常
unripe /ʌnˈraɪp/ adj. 尚未成熟的（由ripe加上表示否定的前缀un-）
rot /rɒt/ v. 腐烂、烂掉
in contrast /ˈkɒntrɑːst/ 相比之下
around the clock 夜以继日地、昼夜不停地
multiple /ˈmʌltɪp(ə)l/ adj. 多个
This will be the most important impact of robot pickers, says Simon Birrell, co-author of the Cambridge study. "Right now, between a quarter and a third of food just rots in the field, and this is often because you don't have humans ready at the right time to pick them," he says.
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ n. 影响
co- 前缀，意思是共同
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