双语资讯：生于2014年的机器人十大明星

At the end of every year in recent memory it seems high tech optimists have predicted the next year as the one when robots will finally lift from our shoulders the burden of dreary domestic tasks 回顾近些年 似乎每当接近年终之时 那些拥护高 科技的乐观主义者就会预测 在未来一年里 机器人终将挑起我们肩上的家务重担 Think washing floors scrubbing the grill cutting the lawn watering plants changing cat litter vacuuming the carpet and for good measure pacifying the baby and entertaining the older children 想想看 那些清洁地板 擦洗烧烤架 修剪草坪 给 植物浇水 换猫砂和吸地毯的家务活儿 更妙的是 还能哄哄小婴儿 逗逗大孩子 That was certainly the case at the close of 2013 said Dan Kara a robotics analyst with ABI Research This was supposed to be the year where everything was going to be different Mr Kara said Again 这确实就是 2013 年结束前的情况 一家 市场调研公司 ABI Rearch 的机器人科技分析师丹 卡拉 Dan Kara 说 应该就在今年 会发生翻天覆地的变化 卡拉说 再一次 And while that home robotics revolution didn t exactly come to fruition this year Mr Kara said a handful of interesting robotic debuts in 2014 brought consumers one step closer to the chore free home of the future 虽然在这一年里 家用机器人的革 命没有实实在在地结出什么果实 但卡拉说 有十多款于 2014 年初次亮相的趣味机器 人 让消费者们向没有家务活儿的未来又迈近了一步 That sentiment was echoed by two others who closely follow the consumer robotics industry Erico Guizzo editor of the Automaton blog of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Andra Keay managing director of Silicon Valley Robotics an industry group Based on recommendations from these specialists as well as some firsthand tests here are 10 notable robots that made their debut this year 这种想法还得到了另外两个人的回 应 他们都是消费型机器人行业的密切追踪者 一位是电子与电气工程师协会 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 机器人 Automaton 博客的编辑 埃里克 圭佐 Erico Guizzo 另一位是该行业中一个名为 硅谷机器人 Silicon Valley Robotics 的商业团体的主管安德拉 凯伊 Andra Keay 根据这几位专家的推荐和某 些一手测评 这里给大家介绍十款今年首次亮相的超棒机器人 Neato Botvac Vacuums constitute the biggest and most competitive consumer robotics category in the marketplace and they re getting better The earliest models were criticized for their over reliance on humans to maintain them I had to constantly clean my cleaning robot Mr Guizzo said Owners also had to drag the bots to their charging stations when the batteries died and move furniture that the robots couldn t squeeze beneath The Neato Botvac 480 to 600 requires less cleaning than the earliest robotic vacuums and it features good pickup power and a low profile that helps it sneak under couches My favorite feature When the battery is low the Botvac returns to its charging station When Dyson s much anticipated robot appears next year watch for similar features 吸尘机器人 Neato Botvac 真空吸尘器 是市场上规模最大 也最有竞争力的一类消费型机器人 而且设计得越来越好 这类 机器人最早的型号 因为过度依赖人类的维护而受到了一些指责 我得常常清理我 的清洁机器人 圭佐说 主人还得把它在电池耗尽后搬到充电器旁 或者把它无 法钻下去清扫的那些家具挪开 而这台售价在 480 美元 约合人民币 2979 元 至 600 美元 约合人民币 3724 元 的 Neato Botvac 机器人所需的维护工作 则比早期的机 器人吸尘器少得多 这款机器人的特点是吸附能力强 且扁平的外形有助于它钻入沙 发下面 我最喜欢的一个特点是 一旦进入低电量状态 Botvac 机器人就会回到自己 的充电站 等明年戴森公司 Dyson 那款众望所归的机器人上市时 我们再来看看它的 类似功能吧 Grillbot It s a small nasty job that s too often forgotten until the food is ready to throw on the barbecue but cleaning a grill can be a pleasure as long as someone else is doing it The 130 Grillbot works like a miniature Roomba but with more fearsome metal bristles On a hot or cold grill start the bot close the lid and 10 to 30 minutes later the grate is clean enough to cook on Some users have noted the bot s tendency to shed bristles but Ethan Woods the company s chief executive said a new design has addressed the issue Forgetful types will appreciate the device s alarm which sounds when the bot is left in a hot grill for too long 烤架机器人 Grillbot 清洁烤架是项细碎繁琐的工作 通常人们直到食物已经 要上架烤了 才会想起架子还没擦 但清洗烤架也可以是一种乐趣 只要干活的人不 是自己 这台售价 130 美元 约合人民币 807 元 的烤架机器人 工作起来就像一台 迷你的 Roomba 吸尘器 只是多了些吓人的金属鬃毛 在一台灼热或冰冷的烤架上启 动这台机器人 并合上盖子 经过 10 至 30 分钟 格栅就洁净一新 可以开始烧烤了 有些用户已经注意到 这款机器人有脱落鬃毛的趋势 但该公司的首席执行官伊桑 伍 兹 Ethan Woods 说 目前新设计的机器人已经解决了这一问题 有健忘症的人还会喜 欢该设备的闹钟设计 如果机器人被忘在一个受热的烤架上 时间一长就会铃声大作 Soloshot2 Filming oneself for fun or work is easy enough if you stand still But for less static pursuits like sports dance or just even romping in the yard with your toddler filming and doing are mutually exclusive The Soloshot2 is a 400 system made up of a robotic camera harness and a separate sensor that attaches to whatever you want to film The harness points the camera in the direction of the sensor With a range of 2 000 feet and a battery life of eight hours for the base and four hours for the sensor the Soloshot2 can be used to videotape any activity even your next synchronized swimming session the sensor is waterproof The only thing you need worry about is someone stealing your camera while you re playing in the pool 自拍机器人 Soloshot2 不管是拍着玩还是从事摄影工作 站着不动的自拍容易 得很 但要拍摄不那么静态的画面 比如运动 跳舞 或者只是在院子里和你蹒跚 学步的孩子嬉闹 这时候拍摄和被拍就总难以兼顾了 这台 Soloshot2 是一套价值 400 美元 约合人民币 2482 元 的系统 由机器人摄像架与一个附着在拍摄对象上的独立 感应器组成 该设备的拍摄距离为 2000 英尺 约 610 米 基座电池寿命 8 小时 感应器 4 小时 因而可以用来录制任何活动 甚至是你的下一次花样游泳表演 感应 器是防水的 你唯一需要担心的是在泳池里玩耍时 有人偷走你的摄影机 Litter Robot Changing cat litter is the most dreaded entry on my children s list of chores The Litter Robot may change that It s built with a sensor that knows when your cat has visited and afterward the unit rotates like a giant cement mixer to sift and deposit clumps into a waste tray There are downsides The Litter Robot is fairly big about 29 inches high and roughly 25 inches from front to back so it may not fit easily in smaller apartments At 389 it s not cheap And you need to keep it stocked with carbon filters and waste tray liners 猫厕机器人 Litter Robot 在我家孩 子们的家务清单上 换猫砂是最无趣的一件事 现在 这台猫厕机器人可能会带来些 改变 该设备装了一个感应器 可以知道你的猫何时来过 然后这台机器就会旋转起 来 像一台巨大的水泥搅拌机 把块状物都过滤下来 倒进一个垃圾盘里 但它也有 些缺点 这台机器人太大了 高约 29 英寸 约 74 厘米 前后长约 25 英寸 约 64 厘米 所以 面积较小的公寓可能不太合适 而且 389 美元 约合人民币 2414 元 的售价也不便宜 你还得为它装好活性炭过滤器及废物盘内的衬垫 rockaRoo A company based in Pittsburgh 4moms built the rockaRoo to track a baby s weight and seat position hundreds of times per second and replicate the rocking motion with a seat that pivots at the bottom The motion includes falling at the speed of gravity the company said and the motor is quiet enough to allow napping or for the baby to hear whatever music parents wish to play over the device s internal speakers For parents of colicky or otherwise sleepless babies this particular bot may be worth the 180 price For this parent of older kids it arrived around 12 years too late 摇摇机器人 rockaRoo 总部设于匹兹堡 Pittsburgh 的公司 4moms 建造了摇摇机 器人 rockaRoo 该设备可以感应婴儿的体重 每秒钟数百次地追踪婴儿的坐姿 并可 通过一个底部活动的座椅反复摇摆 该公司称 这个摇摆的动作包括 以重力的速度 下落 而且座椅的马达安静得足以让婴儿入睡 还能让宝宝听到座椅内置音箱中的 音乐 父母想通过它播放什么都可以 对于家中宝宝不睡觉或爱哭闹的父母而言 这 台售价 180 美元 约合人民币 117 元 的独特机器人也许物有所值 而对孩子年龄更 大一些的父母来说 这台机器人大概发明玩了 12 年吧 Scooba 450 No company has done more to popularize home robotics than iRobot the maker of the Roomba vacuum the Looj gutter cleaner the Mirra pool cleaner and this year the Scooba 450 floor scrubber The 600 device soaks the floor spreads cleaner and scrubs and vacuums the dirty water before a final pass with a squeegee One hiccup we had during our otherwise successful testing The Virtual Wall accessory which creates an infrared barrier to keep the Scooba out of specific areas cast so much infrared light that in smaller spaces the robot was hesitant to scrub anywhere 洗地 机器人 Scooba 450 论及家用机器人的普及化 哪家公司都比不过 iRobot 这家制造 商生产了除尘者 Romba 清沟者 Looj 清池者 Mirra 以及今年 2014 年 译注 推出的洗地机器人 Scooba450 这台售价 600 美元 约合人民币 3724 元 的设备可 以把地板打湿 喷洒清洁剂 擦拭后再吸去脏水 最后用一把橡胶扫帚清洁一遍 这 款产品本可以通过我们的测评 但中途出了个小岔子 为了让 Scooba 绕过某些特定的 区域 我们用 虚拟墙壁 设备释放出一些红外线作为屏障 但它释放的红外线太多 了 以至于在面积较小的地方 这台机器人竟无所适从 不知该去哪儿打扫 Robomow RS Most household tasks can be blown off with few consequences Drag your feet on lawn mowing duties though and you pay dearly Robomow s RS 1 100 to 2 000 is among the latest entries in a category that s attracting competition from established brands and start ups Setting up the mower can be a chore as you must map out your yard with wires to define the Robomow s boundaries Once that s done though the bot cuts as often as you like and returns to its charging dock when low on power It s electric so noise is less of a problem than with conventional mowers For American consumers one big question for Robomow and its competitors is long term reliability But analysts give the latest generation of robotic mowers good marks for reliability and electric mowers generally require none of the annual maintenance faced by owners of gas powered mowers 剪草坪机器人 Robomow RS 大多数家务活儿都可以拖上一拖 后果并不严 重 但你如果拖拖拉拉地不剪草坪 那代价可就大了 Robomow 公司的 RS 机器人 售价 1100 美元 约合人民币 6837 元 至 2000 美元 约合人民币 12412 元 是剪 草坪机器人中新推出的几款产品之一 目前 这类产品正吸引着来自成熟品牌与新兴 公司的竞争 启用这台割草机的工作可能非常繁琐 因为你得用铁丝在草坪上划分出 Robomow 机器人的工作范围 不过 一旦这项工作完成 这款机器人便可让你随心所 欲地剪草坪 想剪几次就剪几次了 用到电量低时 它就会自动返回充电平台 由于 这台机器是电动的 所以比起传统的割草机 它的噪音基本不成问题 而对美国消费 者而言 Robomow 剪草机及其市场竞争者都面临着长期可靠性的问题 不过分析家们 都给新一代机器人剪草机的可靠性评出了高分 此外 电动剪草机无需每年维护 而 燃气割草机的用户则要面对这一问题 Kibo The toy market is cluttered with robots that dance and make noise and then if my children are any indication collect dust once a child has grown bored with the toy s schtick Kibo is a different breed of bot having emerged from a children s technology lab at Tufts University Designed for ages 4 to 7 it s a learning tool disguised as a toy Kids program the 230 robot using wooden blocks that form different commands Kibo scans the sequence of the blocks and executes the commands while also reacting to sounds light and obstacles Its components are so intuitively designed that a child or adult can operate it without reading directions The idea isn t so much to get kids to understand programming but rather to use a self programmed device to enhance playtime activities like storytelling and role playing 玩具机器人 Kibo 玩具市场上充斥着许多机器人 它们 可以跳舞 可以发出声音 若以我家孩子的情况作参考 一旦他们的新鲜劲儿过了 这种机器人还可以收集灰尘 但 Kibo 是一种与众不同的机器人 它由塔夫茨大学 Tufts University 的一间儿童应用技术实验室制造 专门为 4 至 7 岁的儿童设计 是一 个伪装成玩具的学习工具 孩子们利用可组成不同命令的木块 来给这个售价 230 美 元 约合人民币 1427 元 的机器人设置程序 Kibo 机器人先扫描这些木块的顺序 然后执行这些命令 并对声音 光线和障碍物做出反应 该机器人的零部件设计得非 常直观 使得孩子 或成人 不用读说明书也能操作 该产品的设计理念 并不是要 让孩子们理解编程 而是用这种可自行编程的设备 强化诸如讲故事和角色扮演等游 戏活动的乐趣 Robotis Mini Robotis generated much attention for its Robotis OP humanoid robot which was praised for its sophistication and versatility but which carries a 12 000 price tag This year the company released a miniature version of that device which loses some of the versatility and durability of its bigger sibling but remains a technological wonder Unlike the humanoid robot toys on the market the 500 Mini is programmable and responds to touch gesture and voice commands with fluidity and precision Some owners have complained that putting the robot together is unduly difficult and the company tacitly acknowledged as much with video tutorials intended to help users through the hourslong assembly process Another significant drawback for now is that you need an Android mobile device running Android software version 4 0 to control the Mini The cheapest of these are around 150 An Apple version is in the works the company said Robotis 迷你机器 人 Robotis Mini Robotis 公司由于生产出了 Robotis OP 人形机器人而备受关注 这款 机器人因设计精良 功能多样而受到好评 但它贴着一个 12000 美元 约合人民币 74474 元 的价签 今年 该公司发布了这款机器人的迷你版 虽然在多功能与持久 性方面 它比自家的原版兄弟稍逊一筹 但在技术上仍是个奇迹 与市场上的人形机 器人玩具不同 这款售价 500 美元 约合人民币 3103 元 的迷你机器人采用了程控 设计 可以流畅精准地对触摸 手势和声音命令做出反应 但一些买家曾抱怨 把这 款机器人组装起来实在太难了 该公司也坦然默认 推出了视屏教程 意在帮助用户 完成这个历时数小时的组装过程 从目