VOA慢速英语--软件教机械手如何在现实世界中移动

Software Teaches Robot Hand How to Move in the Real World

Researchers have found a way to use software to teach a human-like robotic hand new skills. The discovery could one day make it less costly¹ to train robots to do things that are easy for humans to do.

The researchers are with OpenAI, a nonprofit artificial intelligence research group established in 2015. The group receives support from several well-known investors² and inventors, including Elon Musk³ of Tesla Incorporated.

OpenAI researchers announced last week that they had taught a robotic hand to recognize different qualities of a colorful object. The object was a small, six-sided box with different numbers and colors on each side. The researchers wanted the robotic hand to show them a specific side of the box. The machine was able to turn the box around until the desired side was showing.

The act may seem simple. But it demonstrates a major improvement in how the machine learned to do what the researchers were asking of it.

All the learning happened inside a software-based re-creation of the real world, or a simulation. The machine was then able to bring everything it had learned into the physical world.

That jump helps solve what had been a major problem for robotic hands.

People and companies have been able to buy robotic hands for years. But the hands are difficult for engineers to program. Engineers can write specific computer code for each new action. That, however, requires a costly new program each time.

The engineers also can give the robots software that lets them ‘learn’ through physical training. But physical training can take months or even years. There are other issues with it, too. For example, if a robot hand drops something, a human needs to pick it up and put it back. That adds to costs, as well.

OpenAI researchers have sought to divide those years of physical training into shorter periods. Then, they spread them between a number of computers with a software simulation that can do the training in hours or days -- without human help.

Ken⁴ Goldberg is a University of California Berkeley robotics professor. He was not involved in the OpenAI research. But he did review the work released in late July. He called it “an important result” in getting closer to the goal of having self-taught machines.

In the real world, unexpected things happen. In many cases, a robot’s physical training or code might not prepare it for how to react to an unexpected situation. But the OpenAI researchers included “noise” in their software simulation. That way, the robot would have to learn how to deal with conditions that might interfere⁵ with its task.

Lilian Weng is a member of the technical staff at OpenAI who worked on the research. She told the Reuters news agency that the group now aims to teach the robotic hand even more complex tasks.

I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

artificial intelligence – n. an area of computer science that deals with giving machines the ability to seem like they have human intelligence

specific – adj. special or particular

re-creation – n. something that is made to look, feel, or behave like something else especially so that it can be studied or used to train people

code – n. a set of instructions for a computer

review – v. to look at or examine something carefully especially before making a decision or judgment⁶

task(s) – n. a piece of work that has been given to someone

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

3 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

4 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

5 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

6 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。