Thanks to this new hand-free suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage may soon become a thing of the past. Designed by Israeli company NUA Robotics, this "smart" suitcase can follow you everywhere you go.
The carry-on suitcase, currently a prototype(雏形), connects to a smartphone app via bluetooth. It has a built-in camera sensor that can "see" you and follow you around on flat surfaces like airport floors. It comes with an anti-theft alarm to prevent someone carrying it away when you're not looking, and it has a backup battery that you can use to charge all your devices.
"It can follow and carry things for people around while communicating with their smartphone, and avoiding obstacles, " explained Alex Libman, founder of NUA Robotics. "We're combining sensor network, computer vision, and robotics. So if you download our app, press the 'follow me' button, the luggage recognizes its user and knows to follow and communicate. "
NUA is still testing the device and trying to improve features like speed and customization(客户定制), but they hope to make the suitcase available to customers in a year's time. If it proves successful, they want to use the bluetooth pairing technology to automate lots of other devices, like shopping carts at the supermarket. These devices are especially meant to be useful to the physically disabled and elderly. "Any object can be smart and robotic, " Libman told Mashable. "We want to bring robots into everyday life. "
The Israeli tech company made it clear that the finished product would look just like a regular suitcase. They're planning to partner with a carry-on luggage maker, since the device that makes it "smart" weighs just 2. 5 pounds and can be fixed on old-fashion luggage.
With NUA's smart suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage isn't a burden. But how their invention will handle tough obstacles like stairs? It will be interesting to wait.
【文章大意】本文为科技说明文, 主要介绍了一款像宠物狗一样走哪跟哪的智能行李箱。
1. According to the passage the "smart" suitcase__________.
A. can go everywhere it would like to go
B. is on sale now in the market
C. can make our hands free during traveling
D. was designed by Alex Libman
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第一段Thanks to this new hand-free suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage may soon become a thing of the past. 可知多亏这种新型智能行李箱解放了人们的双手, 搬运沉重的行李箱将很快成为历史, 故选C。
2. If you want to use this hand-free suitcase, you must __________.
A. download the app
B. avoid obstacles
C. look at it all the time
D. carry a camera
【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据第三段第二、三句可知我们将传感器网络、计算机视觉和机器人学结合在了一起。所以如果你下载了我们的应用, 只需按一下'跟我走'按钮, 行李箱就会识别特定的用户, 跟随该用户并与之交流, 故选A。