"机器人汽车"亮相日本

　　Japanese tech company Hitachi has revealed a tiny intelligent robot car that can take passengers safely to their destination without them having to do a thing。

　　日本科技公司日立集团近日推出了一款智能化小型机器人汽车。该汽车可在乘客无需任何操作的情况下将他们安全送达目的地。

　　Called the Robot for Personal Intelligent Transport System(Ropits, for short)， the robot car can only pick up one single passenger at a time. It is equipped with GPS to allow it to find its way, laser distance sensors, collecting a 360-degree image of the vehicle's surroundings, to avoid obstacles and a gyro sensor to help it stay upright while negotiating uneven ground。

　　这款机器人汽车名为“个人智能交通系统机器人”(简称Ropits)，每次只能搭载一名乘客。它配备了全球定位系统、激光距离传感器(可全方位收集汽车周围的影像)和陀螺仪传感器，分别用于确定路线、使汽车避开障碍物、帮助汽车在崎岖不平的路面行驶时保持直立。

　　Passengers enter the Ropits vehicle by means of a front hatch. After getting in the robot car, they need only specify their desired destination on a touch-screen map and the vehicle will automatically drive them there. Besides, anyone who needs a ride will be able to call a Ropits vehicle from any number of computer-networked Ropits “stops” dotted around a city。

　　乘客通过安装在前部的车门进入Ropits汽车。上车之后，他们只需在触摸屏地图中选定自己理想的目的地，接下来机器人汽车便能够自动将其送达目的地。而且，城市中密布的Ropits“站点”将处于联网状态，人们如果要乘车，只需在任何一处站点呼叫Ropits汽车即可。

　　The robot car can pick up and drop off a passenger autonomously, while, in emergencies, the passenger can seize temporary control of the vehicle using a joystick controller in the cockpit。

　　虽然这款机器人汽车可自动搭乘和卸载乘客，但遇到紧急情况时，乘客也可以通过驾驶座内的操纵杆对汽车进行临时控制。

　　Originally developed to help those who have difficulty walking, the Ropits is designed to be small enough to freely move through pedestrian spaces. Besides, it could also be used as an autonomous delivery vehicle for a variety of services。

　　Ropits汽车的设计初衷在于帮助那些行动不便的人，它十分小巧，可自由穿梭于人行道。此外，它还可以用于物流自动配送等多项服务。

　　点滴积累

　　autonomously [adv。自主地]

　　cockpit [n。驾驶座]

　　pedestrian [adj。步行的]