【重庆大学 专业英语】Robotics

机械工程专业英语EnglishInMechanicalEngineering PreparedbyXiaominDongFromCollegeofMechanicalEngineeringChongqingUniversity 54 Robotics Theideaofmachinelikeimitationsofhumanshasalwayscaughttheinterestofthepublic Therefore itishardlysurprisingthatthepublicwasinterestedwhenthetermrobotwasusedtodescribeprogrammablepositioningandloadingdevices Infact eventhegeneralnewsmagazineshavedevotedspacetodiscussingthisoffspringoftheNCrevolution NodiscussionofNCcanbeconsideredcompleteifroboticsisnotincluded Arobotmaybedefinedasamechanicaldevicecapableofbeingprogrammedtomoveormanipulateinthreedimensionalspaceandcapableofdoingworkinthatspaceimitating inageneralway motionscapableofbeingaccomplishedbyahumanbeing Letusanalyzethisdefinition Avastnumberofmachinescanmoveinspace Fewermachinescanmanipulate thatis rotate translate andtraverse Theabilitytoimitatehumanmotionsisevenmoreseverelyrestrictedwithinthemachinepopulation However thereisstillonemoreimportantpartofthedefinitionthatmustbefulfilled themachinemustbeprogrammable itssequenceofmovementsmustbecapableofbeingvariedbychanginginstructionstoitscontrollingcomputer 54 Robotics ThelastsentencestatesthelinkbetweenanNCmachineandarobot Manipulatorsthatmimichumanmotionshavebeenavailableforalongtime Forinstance manipulatorscontrolledfromadistancehavebeenusedbyatomicscientiststohandleradioactivematerialsbehindaradiationbarrier Inordertousethesemanipulators thescientistshadtodevelopamanualskill probablybytrialanderror TheseareanalogoustomanualmachinesratherthanNCmachines Muchgreaterprecisionwouldbepossibleifthesemanualmanipulatorscouldbedriventhroughthreedimensionalspacebasedonaprogrammablepositioningdevicecommandedbyaprescribedmathematicalsequencedprogram Thisisexactlywhatarobotis amanipulatorthatanNCprogrammerhasinstructedtofollowasequenceofcommandsdictatingitsspatialmotionandwhenitshouldgrab startspraypainting startwelding andsoforth 54 Robotics Arobot then isaspecializedNCmachine ThecontrollingmechanismisthefamiliarMCUandtheintelligenceisprovidedbyamanuscript thatis amathematicalcompilationofthespecializedtoolpath Inthiscasethetoolpathmaybethejourneythroughspacetopickupapartandplaceitsomewhereelse ThepurposeofthistoolpathisdifferentfromthatofanNClathe stoolpath buttheprincipleisthesame TheNCprogrammerprogramsitsmotions justashedoesfortheNCmachinetoolscuttingapparatus Therobot smotionsusuallymustbeveryfinelycontrolled whiletheNCmachinecanrelyontheaccuracyoftheleadscrewsandbeds Therefore theoriginalMCUsarereplacedbymorepowerfulmini and ormicrocomputerscapableofmuchfinercontrol 54 Robotics TherationaleforusingrobotsisthesameasthatforusingNCmachines Robotsproducehigherlevelsofqualityandworkfasterthannovicesandjourneymen Theycanbeprogrammedtodotheworkofskilledoperators inthiscasenotmachinetooloperatorsbutwelders assemblers andpainters TheuseofrobotstodohumanmanualworkisnotnearlyasadvancedasthatofNCmachinestakingoverfrommanualmachines butthetrendisvirtuallyidentical AstheMCUsforrobotsbecomemorepowerfulandassensingdevicesdevelopfromcrudepressuresensorstofinersensorsfortouch feel andsight morehumanmotions particularlyofthefingers willbemimickedbyrobots 54 Robotics Ultimately thiswillleadtoflexibleautomatedfactorieswhererobotsdothehumanworkofloadingandunloadingNCmachinesandmovingmaterialfromworkstationtoworkstation Thetechnologyfor control isavailablenow butthepricetoaccomplishthismaystillbetoohigh ThisisalogicaloutgrowthoftheNCrevolution theuseofacomputertodirectamachinebasedonaprogramdesignedbythehumancontroller 54 Robotics Isthisgoodorbadforsociety Inmyopinion itisgood Itreleaseshumansfromperformingdrudgeworkonaproductionlineoruncomfortableandpossiblydangerousworkinfoundriesandmills Humansevolvebetterandbettertoolssothatwecanexerciseourintellectandhaveourmachinesdothedrudgerytosupportourstandardofliving Thisviewmayseemutopian butwewillneverachieveitunlesswecontinuewiththeNCrevolution Certainly therearedisruptionsintheabilityofsometoearnalivingasthesejobsarereplacedwithrobotsandNCmachines Wenolong