VOA科学技术2023--Do We Need Human-like Robots?

Do We Need Human-like Robots?

Building a robot that is both human-like and useful has been a goal of engineers for many years.

Interest in the idea of artificial¹ intelligence (AI) has created another wave of investment² in robot technology to build a human-like robot. But most of the current robot models that aim to look like people are not too effective. They appear to work well in planned performances but not in real life. However, this has not stopped some startups from continuing to develop human-like, or humanoid, robots.

"The intention is not to start from the beginning,'" said Jonathan Hurst. He is co-founder and chief robot officer at Agility³ Robotics. "We're trying to make robots that can operate in human spaces."

Hurst said Agility's robot Digit⁴ is designed to do human things. It is not designed to look like a human.

What it does is pick up objects and move them. Amazon announced in October that the company will begin testing the Digit robot for use in some of its storage buildings. Agility opened a factory in the western state of Oregon in September to mass produce their robot.

Digit has a head containing cameras, other sensors⁵, animated⁶ eyes, and an upper body that provides power. It has two arms and two legs, but its legs are not human-like. It looks similar to cats and dogs that walk on the very end of their feet, rather than on flat feet.

Competing robot-makers, like Figure AI, are designing robots differently. The company believes that only human-like robots can effectively work in places built for humans.

Figure AI also plans to start developing robots for simpler uses. But it aims to build robots that can perform more than one job to help take over work from humans.

"There's not enough people doing these jobs, so the market's massive," said Figure AI chief Brett Adcock. He said he believes his company can sell millions or even billions of humanoid robots if it can make a robot do a human's work.

At the moment, however, Adcock's company does not have a model that is ready. The company was founded just over a year ago after it raised tens of millions of dollars. Figure AI released⁷ a 38-second video of its robot, Figure, walking through its building in California.

Elon Musk⁸, head of Tesla, is also trying to build a human-like robot, called Optimus, in the electric carmaker's robotics division⁹. But a presentation of the robot's walking last year did not win over experts in the field.

Agility's Digit robot caught Amazon's attention because it can walk and move in a way that would work well with the robots the company already uses. Those robots look like vehicles and work in large buildings carrying heavy loads.

Tye Brady is Amazon's chief technologist for robotics. He said the way the robot moves "is more interesting" than the way it looks.

Agility Robotics co-founder and chief Damion Shelton said its Digit robot is "just the first use case" of a new generation of robots. He hopes people will embrace¹⁰ robots rather than fear them as they enter businesses and homes.

"So, in 10, 20 years, you're going to see these robots everywhere," Shelton said. He added: "...Human-centric robots like that are going to be part of human life."

Words in This Story

startup – n. (business jargon) a general term for a new business with a new product which gives no information about the business organization under law

intention – n. the thing that you plan to do or achieve: an aim or purpose

animated –adj. able to move or change

embrace – v. to accept (something or someone) readily¹¹ or gladly

-centric – adj. having (something) as a central interest, influence, or subject

1 artificial   

adj.人工的，人造的，人为的；做作的，假装的

参考例句：

• The new dam will form a large artificial lake behind it.新筑的水坝将会在后面形成一个人工湖。
• We don't use any artificial flavourings in our products.我们的产品不使用任何人工调味剂。

2 investment   

n.投资，投资额；(时间、精力等的)投入

参考例句：

• It took two years before I recouped my investment.我用了两年时间才收回投资。
• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad.这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。

3 agility   

n.敏捷，活泼

参考例句：

• The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
• His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

4 digit   

n.零到九的阿拉伯数字，手指，脚趾

参考例句：

• Her telephone number differs from mine by one digit.她的电话号码和我的只差一个数字。
• Many animals have five digits.许多动物有5趾。

5 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

6 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

7 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

8 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。

9 division   

n.区分，分开，除法，公司，部门，师(军队里)

参考例句：

• Have you learnt division?你学会除法了吗？
• The division commander ordered that we start the attack before dawn.师长令我们在拂晓前发起攻击。

10 embrace   

vt.拥抱；包括；包围，环绕；n.拥抱，怀抱

参考例句：

• He held her to him in a warm embrace.他热列地拥抱她。
• The hills embrace the village.山丘环绕着村庄。

11 readily   

adv.欣然地，容易地，很快地，立即

参考例句：

• I promise all costs will be readily returned.我保证所有的费用会迅速偿还。
• Most plastics do not readily conduct heat or electricity.大多数塑料不易传热或导电。