Couple Receive Grant to Develop Robots

LARAMIE, Wyo. - A couple who work in the University of Wyoming’s Computer Science Department have received a $100,000 National Science Foundation grant to further develop tiny robots that could help clean up oil spills or respond to a terrorist attack. The robots would zero in on the source of chemical or biological hazards. “Somebody from the National Science Foundation came out here and said we had the best robotics work he’d ever seen,” Diana Spears said.

Spears and her husband, William, envision robots that would communicate with one another, relaying information back to humans or to a larger robot that would take care of the problem.

“Suppose a terrorist lets out a toxic chemical. You want to send out a swarm of robots to find out where the toxic chemical is and trace it to the source,” Spears said.

A swarm of small robots would cover a larger area more quickly than a single robot, and if one failed, the others could take up the slack.

The robots would travel in a formation based on a theory developed by William Spears. “Most people are interested in a more ad hoc approach to designing these robots,” graduate student Dimitri Zarzhitsky said. “We’re saying, ‘Let’s design a theory for it and validate our theory through experiments.”

The researchers have begun working on technology that will allow the robots to communicate and detect chemicals. “This will be the first time we’ve been able to complete a project with real-world implications,” Diana Spears said.

They plan to have an operational system in about a year, when they hope to hold demonstrations for the military and others.

Eventually they hope to develop robots that could fly or swim. “When we get our demos going of what our robots can do, that’s going to really wow people,” Spears said.

Exercise 4. a) Give the Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations from the article:

To clean up oil spills, to respond to a terrorist attack, chemical or biological hazards, to relay information back to humans, to take care of the problem, to let out a toxic chemical, to take up the slack, to validate our theory through experiments, to detect chemicals, to hold demonstrations for smb, a project with real-world implications, an operational system

b) Give the English equivalents to the following words and word combinations from the article:

грант на дальнейшую разработку, источник опасности, удивит людей, завершить проект, подход к разработке роботов, охватить большую территорию, применить токсичный химикат, примерно через год, проследить до источника

Exercise 5. Complete the sentences using the information from the text:

1. A swarm of small robots would ….

2. The researchers have begun working on …

3. Let’s design a theory for …

4. The robots would zero in on …

5. Most people are interested in …

6. Eventually they hope to develop …

7. This will be the first time we’ve been able to complete …

Exercise 6. Answer the questions to the article:

1. What have the scientists received the grant for?

2. What University do they work at?

3. What did the representative of the National Science Foundation say about their robots?

4. What robots do the scientists envision?

5. Where and when could such robots be used and what for?

6. What do the scientists hope to hold in a year?

7. Is the information from the article interesting for you? Why?

Exercise 7. Speak about the importance of the scientific project described in this article.

TEXT 7

Exercise 1. a) Look at the headline of the article below and say what you think it is going to be about.

b) Read the words and word combinations and translate them without a dictionary:

to observe, a bureau, a serpent, a reptile, a monitor, to monitor, hi-tech, a camera, a province, internet, video, an expert, a director

Exercise 2. Read and memorize the words from the article:

Predict, v	Предсказывать
Earthquake, n	Землетрясение
Sense, v	Чувствовать
Sensitive, adj	Чувствительный
Erratic, adj	Переменчивый, изменчивый, непостоянный; двигающийся в неопределенном направлении
Behave, v	Вести себя
Behavior, n	Поведение
hi-tech, n	1) передовая технология; наукоемкая технология 2) передовая техника
Respond, v	Отвечать, реагировать
Smash, v	наносить сильный удар, ударять изо всех сил
Extremely, adv	Чрезвычайно
Escape, v	Сбегать, спасаться
Prone, adj	Подверженный (чему-л.)
Occur, v	Иметь место существовать
Install, v	Устанавливать
Forecast, v	Предсказывать
Extend, v	распространять, расширять
Devastate, v	истощать, опустошать, разорять

Exercise 3. Read and translate the article: