Reading. 2. Robots are widely-used in all fields of our life

2. Robots are widely-used in all fields of our life. Read part one of the text Robots,androids, AI and

· compare your definition of a robot with the definition given in it;

· complete the article with words from the text.

ACTION ROBOT TO COPY BRAIN Scientists at Aberystwyth University are working on a machine which they hope will recognize objects with cameras that will work as (1)…………., and retrieve objects with an arm that will be its (2)…………….. Although the arm will have (3)…………… that will link its muscles and an electric motor that will be the (4)…………., this new (5)…………… won’t move like a human, i.e. won’t be like the (6)…………... of science-fiction films: forget Star Wars’ C3PO. It will be desk based: no walking, or climbing stairs. The team hopes to discover how the brain performs ‘multi-tasking’ and to use that information to develop the (7)………….. ………….. to create a robot that can think for itself.

3. Read part two of the text and match the category of a robot with its characteristics.

1.variable-sequence robot   2. intelligent robot     3. manual manipulator     4. fixed-sequence robot   5. numerically-controlled robot     6. playback robot

a. moves from one position to another according to numerical instructions; b. carries out hand-and-arm functions to hold and move objects, remotely controlled by a person; c. performs operations in a preset order but can be easily reprogrammed for a different sequence of them; d. repeats a sequence of movements and operations first ‘taught’ by manual manipulator and stored in the robot’s memory unit; e. can decide its course of action on the basis of its sensing devices and analytical capability; f. performs a series of operations in a preset order, always in the same series of locations in space.

4. Read part three of the text and speak on the diagram using given key words.

5. Read part four of the text and answer the following questions:

1. What does “Artificial Intelligence” mean?

2. What can androids do? How do they look like?

3. What can androids “learn” from the environment?

4. What is the function of the expert systems?

5. What is the purpose of designing of neural networks?

6. What do neural networks use to imitate the functions of brain cells?