Engineers in Japan say they are a step closer to developing technology they hope will cut the risk of car crashes — by mimicking the behavior of fish.
The experts at Nissan Motor have been studying fish and the way they are able to swim in schools and avoid colliding with each other.
The result is a robot that can travel in a group of up to seven, avoiding bumps by sharing information with its peers.
The firm hopes to use the technology in its vehicles in future.
The three-wheeled robot uses a laser range finder, which measures the distance to an obstacle, and radio communications to recreate the behavior of fish, which can change direction and travel side by side without colliding.
Last year Nissan unveiled a similar robot inspired by the bumblebee, which is also highly adept at avoiding collisions but travels solo.
“We, in a motorized world, have a lot to learn from the behavior of a school of fish in terms of each fish’s degree of freedom and safety,” said Toshiyuki Andou, the principal engineer in the project.
By sharing information, the group can travel safely, changing its shape as needed, Andou said.
Nissan will demonstrate the technology at the CEATEC electronics trade fair in Japan this week. (AFP)
日本工程師表示,他們朝希望減少車禍風險的目標又邁進了一步──師法魚的行為。
日產汽車的專家研究魚類及牠們成群游水卻不會相撞的方法。
他們的研發出一種機器人,藉由彼此交換訊息來避免相撞,能穿梭於至多七個同伴間。
日產希望未來能將此技術運用在汽車上。
該種三輪機器人利用可探測障礙物距離的雷射測距儀及無線電通訊,重現魚類能夠改變方向又並行不悖的游水行為。
日產去年就推出一款相似的機器人,靈感來自同樣擅於避免碰撞的大黃蜂,但大黃蜂通常是單獨行動。
該計畫主要工程師安藤俊之說:「身處在機動化世界的我們,可以從每一條魚游水的自由度及安全性中學習到很多。」
安藤說,機器人藉著彼此交換訊息,得以依據需要變換隊形安全行進。
日產將在本週的日本電子資訊高科技綜合展(CEATEC)中展示這項技術。(法新社╱翻譯:袁星塵)
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years killed at least 16 people and damaged dozens of buildings, but the destruction was largely contained thanks to decades of preparedness work. Taiwan sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity along the Pacific Rim, and — much like neighboring Japan — has a long history of catastrophic quakes. How does April 3 compare with other recent quakes? The April 3 earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, was felt across Taiwan. It was the most severe since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 killed
Around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, the streets of Taiwan are filled with the delightful aroma of zongzi, a traditional snack made of sticky rice wrapped in leaves. The leaves are folded into a cone and then filled with sticky rice and other ingredients such as braised pork belly, peanuts and salted duck egg yolks. The filled leaves are then tightly tied with kitchen twine and ready for cooking. 每到六月端午時節,街頭巷尾就會飄出粽子的香氣。粽子是將糯米包進粽葉的傳統美食,先將粽葉折成圓錐狀塞入糯米,以及紅燒肉、花生、鹹鴨蛋黃等配料,用棉線綁緊後即可烹煮。 Dragon Boat Festival (n. phr.) 端午節 aroma
Everyone has seen a piece of fruit turn brown after being cut. Have you ever wondered why that happens? It is a common phenomenon that occurs due to a chemical reaction called enzymatic browning. The appearance, flavor and nutritional value of the fruit are all affected by this reaction. Some fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, avocados and peaches, are more prone to enzymatic browning than others. These fruits contain high levels of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO for short. __1__ This causes a chain of chemical reactions that ultimately transforms the phenolic compounds into
A: As well as Eid al-Fitr, Southeast Asia is celebrating the Water Festival this week. B: And this year, Thailand is expanding the celebration between April 12 and 16 for the event, officially known as the Songkran Festival, expecting to make 24.3 billion Thai baht in tourism revenue. A: Does Taiwan celebrate the Water Festival? B: Some local cities and counties do have similar activities. A: Let’s go experience the festival then. A: 除了「開齋節」外,東南亞「潑水節」本週也盛大登場! B: 泰國今年從4月12日到16日擴大「宋干節」連假,預估觀光收入可高達243億泰銖。 A: 台灣會慶祝「潑水節」嗎? B: 有些縣市會舉辦類似活動。 A: 那我們也去體驗一下吧。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)