世界上最具创意的机器人问世了

2020-12-28胡君祥

疯狂英语·新阅版 2020年12期

关键词：防护罩问世移动机器人

胡君祥

機器人手臂适合各种水平的生产员工使用，这有助于提高生产效率，减少伤害，鼓舞士气。现在，世界上最具创意的机器人手臂——UR5问世了。

1. debut /debju/ n. 初次登台

2. cumbersome /kmbsm/ adj. 大而笨重的

3. integrate /ntɡret/ v. 使合并

4. shield /ild/ v. 给……加防护罩

5. attendee /tendi/ n. 出席者

After record growth in over 40 countries， Universal Robots' lightweight robotic arms are now making their US debut at this year's International Manufacturing Technology Show （IMTS） in Chicago.

The UR5 robotic arm manufactured by Universal Robots has been announced “the world's most innovative robot” by the International Federation of Robotics（IFR）. The US audience will now see the awardwinning robot—along with its big brother UR10—for the first time.

The UR5 and UR10 robotic arms are aimed at companies that thought robots were too expensive， cumbersome and hard to program and integrate in existing production. The lightweight， flexible UR5 and UR10 can work alongside personnel and generally require no safety shielding. The robotic arms are easily moved around the production area and present a plugandplay solution; a simple user interface lets employees with no previous programming experience quickly set up and operate them.

Universal Robots' chief customer officer， Thomas Visti， looks forward to introducing IMTS attendees to UR5 and UR10.

“Many companies worldwide have invested in UR robots to save manpower， whereas others have used them to boost product quality or productivity. Sometimes they are used in repetitive tasks to improve working conditions for employees. We see potential in all these applications in the US market.”

Instead of expensive sensor technology， the UR5 robotic arm uses a unique patented technology to measure electrical current in its joints to determine force and movement. This innovation has made robots less expensive than other automation solutions. This enables even small and mediumsized enterprises to automate production previously unthinkable.

“Small and mediumsized enterprises demand a fast return on investment. Besides the robot's low initial cost， it operates very costefficiently and is profitable in only six to eight months，” says Thomas Visti.

UR5 is a result of many years of intensive research in robotics. The sixaxis robot arms can be used in many industries.

The CTO of Universal Robots explains how the robots were designed to be as userfriendly as possible. “We decided to make programming intuitive by developing a graphical user interface combined with a ‘teaching function allowing the user to simply grab the robot arm and show how a movement should be performed. The robot can be integrated into any production process very quickly. Our experience shows this is generally done in a few hours.”

The robots weigh as little as 40 lbs enabling them to be moved around the production area to perform different tasks. The UR5 can handle a load of up to five kilos， the UR10， 10 kilos respectively. A significant benefit is the robot's capability to operate with no safety shielding. As soon as an employee comes into contact with the robot arm and a force of at least 150 newton is exerted， the robot arm will automatically stop operating.

1. What can we know about the UR5 robotic arm？

A. It was produced by Universal Robots.

B. It is aimed at small companies.

C. It has won a number of awards.

D. It made its appearance in 40 countries.

2. What can we know from the last two paragraphs？

A. The UR10 is heavier than the UR5.

B. The robots perform one task at a time.

C. The robots can finish a task in a few minutes.

D. The UR10 can handle twice as much weight as the UR5.

3. What's the text mainly about？

A. An introduction to Universal Robots' new robots.