Li Bai holds a wine cup in his hand, while Du Fu sits in front of a desk, writing poems on the paper in front of him. It’s not that we have traveled to the past. Modern technology has brought ancient poets “back to life” .
The two great poets, along with other humanoid robots were presented at the World Robot Conference 2023 in late August in Beijing. They looked similar to real human beings.
“The skin is made of medical-grade bionic silicone (仿生硅胶) which is why the skin looks soft and veins can be seen through it,” CGTN explained in a video about Liaoning-based producer EXROBOTS. Goosebumps (鸡皮疙瘩) and palm lines can also be seen on the arms and hands.
Researchers are also trying hard to create other features of humans on robots. A US robotics company Apptronik brought out its humanoid robot called Apollo on Aug 23. Apollo has around 30 muscles. However, humans have around 300 muscles in our bodies. For now, engineers can only simplify the muscles, allowing them to do basic movements like holding objects and walking.
The robot also contains cameras, helping it map out a 360-degree view of its environment. It also has sensors (传感器) in its head to help keep balance when walking on uncertain surfaces.
Nowadays, bionic human-like robots mostly work with humans, as tour guides or by helping visitors at front desks. There are also robots that share the work of nurses, such as handing out medicine. This could be because people are comfortable living and working with machines that look or act like them. “They can strike a chord (引起共鸣) with people,” a US robotics scientist Marc Raibert told New Yorker.
As more humanoid robots come out, safety will be the key, according to the Robot Reportwebsite. When a 70- kilogram robot breaks down and falls, humans nearby may be hurt.
【小题1】What does brought ancient poets “back to life” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．The robots can create better poems than poets. |
| B．Technology can make ancient poets back to life. |
| C．Visitors can experience real ancient life with robots. |
| D．The robots looked and acted like real ancient poets. |
| A．How human-like their robots are. |
| B．How soft the robots skin is. |
| C． How the robots’ skin should be made. |
| D．How different they are from other robots. |
| A．Wave at humans. | B．Walk stably. | C．Know human faces. | D．See better. |
| A．People may be at war with the robots. | B．Human-like robots look scary. |
| C．The robots weight may cause problems. | D．The robots may get out of control. |
