Useful robotic shorts

江苏洪翔中学 赵小永

体裁 篇幅 建议用时说明文330 6分钟

Sportswear is getting a robotic upgrade.A new exosuit,which is worn like a pair of bike shorts,makes both walking and running more energy efficient.

Philippe Malcolm at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the US and his colleagues developed the flexible suit,which cuts the energy a wearer uses when walking by 9% and the energy spent on running by 4%.

This exosuit isn't the first to cut the energy spent moving—others have been able to make either walking or running alone more energy efficient—but Malcolm and his team say it's the first to aid in both.The device could eventually be used by people who spend a long time on their feet,such as rescue workers and firefighters.

The exosuit weighs 5 kilograms and consists of two fabric wraps around the thighs(大腿)that are connected to a fabric waist-belt.Cables that run from the belt pull on the thigh wraps to assist with hip（臀部）extension.The suit uses a sensor on the torso（躯干）to detect whether the wearer is walking or running,while sensors on the thighs detect changes in leg position. A motor unit on the back of the suit begins pulling a cable just before a wearer's front foot hits the ground,aiding the body's natural hip extensors and reducing the amount of energy spent to produce the same force.

The cable goes loose when the back leg is moving forward while walking or running. “When that happens there's almost no movement restriction,” says Malcolm.He and his team tested the suit on nine participants on treadmills (跑步机),who each walked 450 metres over 5 minutes and ran 750 metres over 5 minutes,both with the suit switched on and off.

The energy savings are modest, and the next stage of research will require longer time trials to determine whether the exosuit can help a wearer run faster or for longer.

阅读检测

1.What is the advantage of the new exosuit over the already-existing sportswear?

A.It helps encourage the wearers to keep moving.

B.It helps save energy when one is running or walking.

C.It's flexible enough to make the user comfortable.

D.It makes walking or running more energy efficient.

2.What can we infer about the new exosuit from the text?

A.It's the lightest and smallest sportswear.

B.It's intended for people working outside.

C.It prevents its users feeling tired easily.

D.It helps its users move freely all the time.

3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A.How the device works.

B.What the device is made of.

C.How the device is designed.

D.Why the device is important.

4.What is Malcolm's team expected to do for the exosuit?

A.Try to make it more suitable for wearers.

B.Try to make it more durable and safe.

C.Test it on more people on treadmills.

D.Improve it to make it help wearers move faster.

语言学习

难句分析

Philippe Malcolm at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the US and his colleagues developed the flexible suit,which cuts the energy a wearer uses when walking by 9%and the energy spent on running by 4%.美国内布拉斯加大学奥马哈分校的菲利普·马尔科姆和他的同事们研发出了这种柔性服装，它能将穿着者行走时消耗的能量减少9%，跑步时消耗的能量减少4%。

该句为主从复合句，句中which 引导定语从句修饰the flexible suit，在定语从句中when引导省略式的时间状语从句。

背景知识

智能服装

智能服装原属尖端领域，随着服装行业日益红火，嗅觉灵敏的商家们拓宽了其原先狭小的市场空间。在未来几年里，我们的衣柜里将会塞满这样的智能衣物——能够读出人体心跳、体温、呼吸频率的“聪明衬衫”，能够自动播放音乐的外套，能够在胸前显示文字与图像的T 恤衫……美国科技媒体预测，未来的服装将成为真正的“多功能便携式高科技产品”，一件衣服能同时播放音乐、视频，调节温度，甚至上网冲浪。