【雅思小伦哥-外刊精读】同学！我是运货机器人, 你的外卖到了！
From humanoid robots being launched into space to medical mechanisms with “dexterous 3D-printed fingers”, the world of robotics is ripe with opportunity. It’s a prosperous technology, with insight from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR)revealing that “More than 3 million industrial robots will be in use in factories around the world by 2020.” Examining the results of its global survey of 7,000 employees in seven countries, IFR also adds that “Nearly 70 per cent of employees believe that robotics and automation offer the opportunity to qualify for higher-skilled work.” Without a doubt, the progress of robotics vs the progress of graduates is questionable. While futurists and philosophers believe robots are coming for people’s jobs, some believe that they will harmoniously live alongside workers in peace, enhancing roles rather than ruining them. Amid such concern, should university campuses be welcoming in robotic services or trying to shun them out?
机器人技术发展欣欣向荣，人们不仅把类人型机器人送入了太空，还将“灵活的3D打印手指”技术应用于医疗。这项技术前景十足，国际机器人联合会透露“到2020年，全球工厂中工业机器人使用量将超3百万个。”联合会对全球七个国家的7,000名员工进行调查后，分析并指出“超70%的员工认为机器人和自动化技术可辅助完成熟练度更高的工作。”无疑，机器人技术的发展和人类毕业生水平的进步并无可比性。虽然未来学家和哲学家们认为机器人将会接手人们的工作，一些人则相信它们将与工人和谐共处，辅助他们更好地工作，而非取而代之。不过，既有此担忧，大学校园应该欢迎机器人服务还是将其拒之门外呢？
Introducing the diligent delivery bot
勤劳的快递机器人走进大学校园
Imagine a campus where you don’t have to wait in line to buy your much-needed caffeine fix or study snack; a campus that supports a delivery bot service that autonomously delivers food and drinks to hungry students. Does that sound ideal? Because for university campuses that have enrolled the services of Starship Technologies, this is a reality. Representing a fleet of self-driving delivery robots, Starship Technologies’ robots move at pedestrian speed and weigh no more than 100 pounds. Inherently safe, navigating around objects and people, these diligent delivery bots easily settle into campus landscapes. For Lex Bayer, CEO of Starship Technologies, the strategic use of delivery bots at university makes perfect sense. “An entire generation of university students are growing up in a world where they expect to receive a delivery from a robot after a few taps on their smartphone. The reception to our service both on campuses and in neighbourhoods has been phenomenal. Our customers appreciate how we make their lives easier and give them back the gift of time,” explains Bayer. With plans to expand to 100 university campuses over the next two years, the delivery bot trend keeps rolling.
想象在学校里你不用排队就能买到心心念念的咖啡解瘾或吃到解饿小食，校园里的快递机器人会自动把吃的喝的送到饿着肚子的学生手里。想想就美滋滋吧？大学若参加了Starship Technologies公司提供的服务项目，这将不再是梦。公司的快递机器人相当于一种自动驾驶运载工具，以行人速度慢速移动，总重不超过100磅。也正因此，这些勤劳的快递机器人安全性高，一路导航穿梭，非常适于在校园中使用。公司首席执行官莱克斯·拜尔认为让快递机器人走进校园十分明智。拜尔解释到，“整整一代的大学生从小就习以为常，他们想在手机上点一点就能收到机器人送来的快递。各大校园和街区对我们服务的评价都很高。我们的顾客生活更便捷了，还省下了时间，对此很满意。”公司计划在未来两年中，让快递机器人走进100家大学校园，其热度持续走高。
Should your campus bring on the bots?
让机器人走进你的校园？
Have you ever felt too tired to walk to the shops or rustle up a hearty morning meal? Or have you ever been late for lecture but knew you needed breakfast to maintain focus throughout the slides? Bringing breakfast to your doorstep, a Starship bot can fulfill your nutritional needs by directing a delivery order to your campus location before your lecture begins. “The initial launch has proven incredibly successful, with students taking advantage of the ease and convenience of the system. In the first days after a fleet of 25 delivery robots descended on GMU’s campus in January, school officials could only speculate about the machines’ long-term impact. “After just a couple of months, the data showed a dramatic shift in students’ eating habits. In the first two months alone, an extra 1,500 breakfast orders were delivered autonomously,” U2 Bexplains.
不想走去店里？不想吃自己随便做的大份早餐了？或许你上课迟到了来不及吃早餐，但不吃又没精力上课？Starship公司的机器人服务在你上课前就会派单到你的校区，把早餐送到你手，满足你的营养所需。“首次运营就非常成功，学生们很喜欢轻松便捷的服务。最初，一月时有25个快递机器人投入乔治梅森大学，校方仅能预测机器可能带来的长期影响”， U2B解释道，“仅仅几个月，数据就显示学生的饮食习惯显著改变。前两个月里就新增早餐订单1,500单，全部自动配送。”
其实你叫它智能快递车也行，它有自己独享的导航系统，这可以使它不会被路边的花花世界所干扰，专心地帮我们进行快递。
它可以负荷两个大包裹的重量。在网上预先选择好送达的时间，这样你就不用干巴巴的等着了。
小家伙的行进速度是 6.4公里/每小时，这比我们走路略微快一些。
可能国人都要捂嘴乐了，这么个东西太理想主义了，到了中国的路面上早就被人家撬开拿走包裹了。其实，即使在英国也是有这种担心的，所以经过设定，只有接收快递的客户才能解锁它，然后取出包裹。在虎符君看来，你就把它当做一台无人驾驶运输车就好了...
为了防止偷窃，在配送过程中，所携带的包裹都是被严密封锁，收货人只有通过智能手机才能打开它。而且机器人配有扬声器，当有人意图不轨的时候，控制人员能直接对小偷提出警告并报警。
机器人在送快递之前，你可以在网上选择好预定送达的时间，这样你就不用干巴巴地等着，或者错过快递小哥的上门了。
这家名为Starship Technologie的公司开发出这款机器人是为解决最后一公里的物流配送。
目前，Starship 与外卖服务公司JustEat、Pronto，包裹速递公司Hermes，零售商Metro Group 合作，准备从下周开始在伦敦以及其他三个欧洲城市对他们的送货机器人展开实地测试。
快递机器人
Starship Technologies公司开发的快递机器人相当于一种小型自动驾驶运载工具，重量轻、体积小，配备导航系统，移动速度缓慢，十分安全。不过，它蓄电量有限，单次也无法携带过多物品，因此比较适合短距离运输任务，如在大学校园或邻近的街区之间投入使用。同时，这款机器人还装有录像装置，以防行驶途中货品丢失等意外情况。快递机器人走入大学校园后，收获诸多好评，不仅为学生们提供了便捷的送餐服务，还在一定程度上让他们饮食更加规律。不过，随着越来越多的快递机器人投入使用，也有人提出它们会占据人行道、打扰校园安静的环境等缺点，引发是否应让此类机器人走进校园的多番讨论。
作者：雅思小伦哥
来源：博珂英华（微信公众号）
博珂英华：专注财经以及英语的知识分享、教材编写和提升课程
