Future astronauts could travel with emotional support robots

题材 体裁 文章词数 难度 建议用时科技 说明文 328 ★★★ 6 分钟

难词探意

1. alleviate /ə΄liːvieɪt/ v. 减轻；缓和；缓解

2. empathy /΄empəθi/ n. 同情；同感，共鸣

3. prototype /΄prəʊtətaɪp/ n. 原型

4. navigation /ˌnævɪ΄ɡeɪʃn/ n. 领航；导航

Space travel presents astronauts with a lot of physical strains and stresses. Spending months or years in such a physically demanding place with limited space, the same people can also raise an abundance of mental tests. According toMIT Technology Review, scientists are working toalleviateastronauts from some of the latter challenges by creating “an AI assistant that's able to feel human emotion and respond withempathy” .

While such a technology would prove itself useful by being able to imagine the needs of crew members and estimate if their mental health is at stake, it has the possibility to be life-saving when humans choose to explore beyond Earth's gravitational field and towards deep space. An AI assistant with empathy could be exactly what's needed to provide emotional support for astronauts on deep-space missions to Mars. Though astronauts currently on the International Space Station have an intelligent robot to interact with called CIMON, it lacks proper emotional intelligence according to NASA CTO Tom Soderstrom. As a result, a team at the organization's Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL)is working on a more advanced emotional support companion that can control a spacecraft's functioning in addition to tracking crew member's behaviors.

Right now in the lab,an AI-equipped robot called Henry the Helper can be found wandering around the grounds assisting visitors who appear confused or lost based on their facial expression.Two more emotionally intelligentprototyperobots are expected to be introduced later this year, one of which is said to be able to participate in conversations more complex than givingnavigationassistance.

The team's final goal is to make a companion named Fiona the Future a reality, an emotionally intelligent cross-platform system. Rather than being limited to a physical robotic device,it could be digitally connected to space stations and habitats on Mars and beyond. Fiona, if all goes according to the JPL's plans, will help keep astronauts of the future staying mentally fit during their journeys to deep space.

Reading Check

1. What is the purpose of inventing an AI assistant according to paragraph 1?

A. To help astronauts survive the mental challenges.

B. To offer astronauts refreshment during their travel.

C. To make astronauts' space exploration more relaxing.

D. To assist astronauts in gathering more information.

2. What can be inferred about an AI assistant from paragraph 2?

A. It can satisfy the needs of crew members.

B. It can help a lot during a deep space exploration.

C. It can accurately evaluate astronauts' mental health.

D. It can make an analysis of crew member's behaviors.

3. How could Henry the Helper assist the visitors?

A. By tracking their performance.

B. By giving navigation assistance.

C. By participating in conversations.

D. By reading their facial expression.

4. What is the ultimate aim of the team at the organization's Jet Propulsion Laboratory?

A. Establishing a cross-platform system.

B. Turning Fiona the Future into a reality.

C. Creating more physical robotic device.

D. Keeping future astronauts mentally fit.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Right now in the lab, an AI-equipped robot called Henry the Helper can be found wandering around the grounds assisting visitors who appear confused or lost based on their facial expression.

【翻译】_____________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】called Henry the Helper为过去分词作后置定语， 修饰名词robot；wandering around the grounds为主语补足语；assisting visitors为现在分词作伴随状语；based on their facial expression在句中作方式状语。