WASHINGTON --- It’s a great achievement that inspires concepts of robots with consciousness and independent minds.
When people or animals get hurt, they can usually compensate for minor injuries and keep limping along, but for robots, even slight damage can make them stumble and fall. However, a recently made robot has demonstrated a new ability: it can heal its own damage.
The new robot, which looks like a splay-legged (弓形腿的), four-footed starfish, can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unfamiliar places.
“There is a need for planetary robotic rovers (行星机器探测车) to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, a professor in the Univer
sity of Vermont, who is one of the device’s creator. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built-in computer. From the information it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking—it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient robot to work. One spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea area might be a good choice for a robot that the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can actually grow its legs again.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing s
urgery.
小题1:The newly designed robot distinguishes itself from the former ones because it________.
A．can communicate with people on the earth about their problems
B．works according to a certain computer program
C．can find its problems and solve them automatically
D．can explore unfamiliar places小题2:An example is given in the fourth paragraph in order to explain that the robot ________.
A．is used to create new programs
B．has typical robot functions
C．has sensors to observe its movements
D．can gather information and adapt to new conditions小题3:Which of the following is TRUE about the robot “Starfish”?
A．It was spoken highly of by people for its special ability.
B．It will stumble and fall if damaged.
C．It can grow its legs again once they are broken.
D．It has started to work on the ocean floor.小题4:What might be the best title of the passage?
A．How the Starfish Robot Works
B．Do-It-Yourself Robot Repair
C．Robots Designed to Work on Other Planets
D．New Robot Helping Us in Many Ways
