Useful robotic shorts

江蘇洪翔中學 趙小永

體裁 篇幅 建議用時說明文330 6分鐘

Sportswear is getting a robotic upgrade.A new exosuit,which is worn like a pair of bike shorts,makes both walking and running more energy efficient.

Philippe Malcolm at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the US and his colleagues developed the flexible suit,which cuts the energy a wearer uses when walking by 9% and the energy spent on running by 4%.

This exosuit isn't the first to cut the energy spent moving—others have been able to make either walking or running alone more energy efficient—but Malcolm and his team say it's the first to aid in both.The device could eventually be used by people who spend a long time on their feet,such as rescue workers and firefighters.

The exosuit weighs 5 kilograms and consists of two fabric wraps around the thighs(大腿)that are connected to a fabric waist-belt.Cables that run from the belt pull on the thigh wraps to assist with hip（臀部）extension.The suit uses a sensor on the torso（軀干）to detect whether the wearer is walking or running,while sensors on the thighs detect changes in leg position. A motor unit on the back of the suit begins pulling a cable just before a wearer's front foot hits the ground,aiding the body's natural hip extensors and reducing the amount of energy spent to produce the same force.

The cable goes loose when the back leg is moving forward while walking or running. “When that happens there's almost no movement restriction,” says Malcolm.He and his team tested the suit on nine participants on treadmills (跑步機),who each walked 450 metres over 5 minutes and ran 750 metres over 5 minutes,both with the suit switched on and off.

The energy savings are modest, and the next stage of research will require longer time trials to determine whether the exosuit can help a wearer run faster or for longer.

閱讀檢測

1.What is the advantage of the new exosuit over the already-existing sportswear?

A.It helps encourage the wearers to keep moving.

B.It helps save energy when one is running or walking.

C.It's flexible enough to make the user comfortable.

D.It makes walking or running more energy efficient.

2.What can we infer about the new exosuit from the text?

A.It's the lightest and smallest sportswear.

B.It's intended for people working outside.

C.It prevents its users feeling tired easily.

D.It helps its users move freely all the time.

3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A.How the device works.

B.What the device is made of.

C.How the device is designed.

D.Why the device is important.

4.What is Malcolm's team expected to do for the exosuit?

A.Try to make it more suitable for wearers.

B.Try to make it more durable and safe.

C.Test it on more people on treadmills.

D.Improve it to make it help wearers move faster.

語言學習

難句分析

Philippe Malcolm at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the US and his colleagues developed the flexible suit,which cuts the energy a wearer uses when walking by 9%and the energy spent on running by 4%.美國內布拉斯加大學奧馬哈分校的菲利普·馬爾科姆和他的同事們研發出了這種柔性服裝，它能將穿著者行走時消耗的能量減少9%，跑步時消耗的能量減少4%。

該句為主從復合句，句中which 引導定語從句修飾the flexible suit，在定語從句中when引導省略式的時間狀語從句。

背景知識

智能服裝

智能服裝原屬尖端領域，隨著服裝行業日益紅火，嗅覺靈敏的商家們拓寬了其原先狹小的市場空間。在未來幾年里，我們的衣柜里將會塞滿這樣的智能衣物——能夠讀出人體心跳、體溫、呼吸頻率的“聰明襯衫”，能夠自動播放音樂的外套，能夠在胸前顯示文字與圖像的T 恤衫……美國科技媒體預測，未來的服裝將成為真正的“多功能便攜式高科技產品”，一件衣服能同時播放音樂、視頻，調節溫度，甚至上網沖浪。