Cats Teach Robots to Land on Feet
机器人也可有九条命
如果机器人被训练地像猫那样能够从高处安全着陆,那么它们获得九条命将不再是梦!
撰文/播音 拉里 • 格林纳梅尔(Larry Greenemeier)
翻译 南洋小学生
审校 李轩
Robots have evolved in leaps and bounds in recent years, but they still cannot safely leap or bound. They have to move carefully. If a robot were to fall from an elevated surface, for the most part it would crash down like a bag of rocks. Not ideal if that robot is on a rescue mission.
近年来,机器人的弹跳能力不断发展,但它们始终无法安然无恙地弹跳。它们必须小心谨慎地移动。如果机器人从高处坠落,它会摔得粉身碎骨。这样的机器人无法胜任救援任务。
So a team of Georgia Tech researchers wants to produce robots that are more agile, by making them literally cat-like. Specifically, the plan is to create a robot that can emulate a cat’s uncanny ability to calculate the best landing angle, adjust its body midflight and land on its feet.
因此,佐治亚理工学院的研究员们计划制造出更灵活的机器人,他们的方案是将其做成猫的样子。确切地说,创造出一种机器人,它可以模仿猫那样令人惊奇的着陆能力,计算出最佳着陆角度,在空中自主协调身体,最终靠脚平稳着陆。
So far the research team has been able to build a robot capable of computing landing angles during test falls. They hope to eventually give the robots joints that can twist or flip their bodies to stick the landing, regardless of the angle.
目前该研究团队已经可以制造出在下落测试中能计算出着陆角的机器人。他们希望最终创造出一种机器关节,不论以何角度降落,它都能使机器人扭动或翻转自己的身体来平稳着陆。
To do that, they’ll need better motors and servos. The ones available today are not fast enough to sufficiently adjust a robot’s body in real time.
要做到这点,他们需要更优质的发动机和伺服系统。现有发动机的转速不足以高效及时地校正机器人的身体。
Baby steps. David Belle didn’t develop the cityscape acrobatic activity known as Parkour overnight. And the typical house cat has had tens of thousands of years to perfect the soft landing.
婴儿学步须慢走。要知道大卫•贝利(David Belle)并非一夜之间就开发出跑酷(Parkour)这种知名的城市景观杂技活动,家猫也是花了数万年时间才发展出了这种软着陆技能。