Wall-E, a popular robot from a Pixar film, has been brought to life by scientists in the form of a seed-planting robot. The A’ seedbot could wander around a desert to look for fertile(肥沃) lands. After finding one, it would send a report to researchers about its discovery. The autonomous robot could then change a once-abandoned area into a workable landscape ideal for farming.
Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation graduate Mazyar Etehadi created this robot farmer. It was a part of his graduation project with the Global Grad Show. This event presents solutions that tackle modern issues connected to the environment and society.
Etehadi said that he wished to see more plants and more greenery out there. The fresh graduate added that continuous desertification led him to develop a seed-planting robot. Later, he arrived at an innovative solution that would require less human participation.
According to a recent report, the farmer robot carries solar panels that can be charged even at night or day. In addition, the length of A’ seedbot is estimated to be 20cm long, and it could move within a 5km radius(半径). Etehadi said that it has 3D-printed legs that can travel in sandy areas to seek appropriate moisture(水分) levels. This would be a hint(迹象) for the robot to plant a seed.
Moreover, a distance sensor helps the machine relay reports to its user. The receiver on the other side can use data sent for further research. Additionally, it has a built-in collision(碰撞) avoidance system to help the robot for easy soil detection. “I think it was an easy solution to come up with, but no one had actually thought of it,” Etehadi said. He added that farmers, citizens, farming industries, and the government will benefit from the seed-planting robots.
Regarding these environment-friendly robots, Tadeu Caravieri of Global Grad Show said such creations would continue to appear in future programs. He believes that these robots will have a “big impact”. As another report says, because of those innovative robot designs, the year of AI has clearly arrived in today’s world.
【小题1】Why does the author mention robot Wall-E in paragraph 1?| A．To highlight the importance of looking for environment protection. |
| B．To arouse the interest of the readers. |
| C．To prove the possibility of finding all fertile lands. |
| D．To show the popularity of the film. |
| A．handle. | B．prevent. | C．strengthen. | D．protect. |
| A．It is developed by farmers. |
| B．It solves all the problems existing before. |
| C．It relies on frequent human participation. |
| D．It is partly 3D-printed. |
| A．Promising. | B．Concerning. |
| C．Unclear. | D．Costly. |
