Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- technologically /tek-nuh-LOJ-i-kuhlee/
- imitation /im-i-TEY-shuhn/
- reinforcement /ree-in-FAWRS-muhnt/
- intuitive /in-TOO-i-tiv/
- algorithm /AL-guh-rith-uhm/
[adverb] – in a way that relates to or involves technology
Brad is technologically more knowledgeable than Steve.
[noun] – an occasion when someone or something imitates another person or thing
His imitation of Pablo’s work looks original.
[noun] – something added to provide more strength or support
The reinforcements arrived just in time.
[adjective] – based on feelings rather than facts or proof
Her intuitive decisions in life made her find a good husband.
[noun] – a set of mathematical instructions or rules that, especially if given to a computer, will help to calculate an answer to a problem
In robotics, algorithms are complicated but learnable.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Learning to do robotics has easily become very exciting, which is understandable. Robot programming has always required a lot of technical knowledge, but what if there was an easier way for people who are not technologically inclined to teach these systems to do things that humans can do?
At the moment, two of the most popular ways to learn are through imitation and reinforcement. First, you have to take control of the robot and teach it how to do a task. Second, you have to train a system on millions of images. Several researchers are looking into a method that is even more intuitive and trains a robot by watching a person do a task. A team at Carnegie Mellon University presented the Wild Human Imitating Robot Learning, or WHIRL, an algorithm that teaches a robot by making it watch videos. In their demonstrations, a mobile robotic arm that can be purchased learns to do certain household chores like taking out the trash. In a press release, Shikhar Bahl, a student at the Robotics Institute, said that copying is a good type of learning. It is easy to see how something like this could be especially helpful at home, where roboticists think these systems will be used to help the elderly and other people who have trouble moving around.
Therefore, it is easy to say that these new inventions will be very advantageous in the times ahead.
At the moment, two of the most popular ways to learn are through imitation and reinforcement. First, you have to take control of the robot and teach it how to do a task. Second, you have to train a system on millions of images. Several researchers are looking into a method that is even more intuitive and trains a robot by watching a person do a task. A team at Carnegie Mellon University presented the Wild Human Imitating Robot Learning, or WHIRL, an algorithm that teaches a robot by making it watch videos. In their demonstrations, a mobile robotic arm that can be purchased learns to do certain household chores like taking out the trash. In a press release, Shikhar Bahl, a student at the Robotics Institute, said that copying is a good type of learning. It is easy to see how something like this could be especially helpful at home, where roboticists think these systems will be used to help the elderly and other people who have trouble moving around.
Therefore, it is easy to say that these new inventions will be very advantageous in the times ahead.
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you have knowledge about robotics? If so, what are those? If not, what will you do to gain knowledge about it?
- Do you own devices that can do what humans do? If so, what are those gadgets? If not, what will you do to have access to devices that can perform human actions?
- How will you promote robots that can do human actions to people if you are a roboticist?
- Do you think people need technologies that can perform human actions?
- How will you educate people about the good and bad things a robot can do?
Summarization
Please summarize the whole article using your own words and expressions. You will have one minute to prepare before you answer.
Describe:
Please explain the definition of each word listed below based on your understanding. You can provide example sentences if needed.
- roboticist
- inclined
- knowledge
- method
- systems