VOA常速英语2015--亚马逊无人机送货计划提交专利申请（在线收听）

亚马逊无人机送货计划提交专利申请

According to the patent application published by the U.S. Patent Office, Amazon plans to use the Global Positioning System, or GPS, not only for deliveries to homes around the country, but directly to purchasers, wherever they may be.

美国专利局公布的专利申请显示亚马逊计划使用全球定位系统,GPS,使得送货服务不仅面向全国的各家各户,而且是直接针对无论身处何地的买家本人。

Focusing on the location of the customer's mobile device, usually a smartphone, the drone will be able to avoid both living things and inanimate obstacles,identify areas safe for landing and deliver the package within 30 minutes.

通过定位客户的智能手机位置等移动设备，无人机可以躲开生物并且越过无生命障碍,确定着陆安全区域并在30分钟内将包裹交给买家。

For security reasons,the Federal Aviation Administration requires the drones in this experimental test period to remain within sight of their operators,which severely limits their reach.

出于安全考虑,联邦航空局要求实验测试期间的无人机在操作者的视线范围,这就严重限制了无人机的范围。

Amazon is working on solutions, says Loretta Alkalay, from Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in New York, speaking by Skype.

纽约沃恩航空技术大学的洛蕾塔·阿尔克莱通过Skype表示亚马逊正在寻求解决方案。

“I think that they are going to work on those in parallel with advancing the new technology.So I don't see the security problems as being something that should stop the technology."

“我想他们会在寻求突破的同时研发新技术。因此我想安全问题不会阻碍这项技术。”

Amazon is still not advertising the drone deliveries, but Alkalay is optimistic that they will happen.

亚马逊还没有对无人机送货进行宣传,但阿尔克莱乐观地认为这肯定会实现。

“I do think that in the reasonably foreseeable future they are going to start doing deliveries.We have already seen deliveries being done in disaster areas and remote areas.I think there is a huge demand for that type of delivery."

“我认为,在合理可预见的未来他们会开始进行无人机送货。我们已经亲眼目睹在灾区和偏远地区进行投放。我认为这有着很大的需求。”

There are still a number of concerns regarding possible collisions with various objects, as well as vandalism and theft of the drones and goods, but Alkalay says the media has assumed-incorrectly-that deliveries would be made to people's front doors.

而对于无人机送货期间可能与不同的物体发生碰撞,以及无人机和货物的蓄意破坏和偷窃仍存在许多问题,但阿尔克莱表示媒体错误的推断无人机仅仅只能送货上门。

“If you think of a drone delivery perhaps to your rooftop, then you'll have an opportunity to separate the pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and at the same time separate it from air traffic."

“如果你考虑到一架无人机可能将包裹送到你的屋顶上,然后你就不会再考虑行人和车辆交通问题,同时空中交通问题也迎刃而解。”

Alkalay says even though American homes are not set up for rooftop deliveries,it is possible that future homes will have special platforms for air deliveries of small merchandise.

阿尔克莱表示即使美国家庭并未设置屋顶送货,可能在不远的未来各个家庭也会有小型商品送货用的特殊平台。