|
An American company has built a new drone that could improve the efficiency of deliveries.
一家美国公司制造了一种新的无人机，来提高运输的效率。
The drone is very different from other unmanned aircraft.It is made almost completely out of cardboard and has no motor.It can be packed with materials and sealed up with tape.
这款无人机与其他无人机非常不同。它几乎完全由纸板制成，没有电机。可以用材料打包并用胶带密封。
Because the drones do not have a motor, they are designed to be dropped from airplanes.Hundreds of drones could be launched at once.Then they could be automatically guided to where they are supposed to go.
因为没有电机，无人机被设计为从飞机上落下。几百个无人机可以一起发射。然后他们会被自动引导到应该去的地方。
The company says these drones could then complete deliveries to different places over an area covering hundreds of kilometers.
该公司说，这些无人机可以完成覆盖数百公里的不同地方的运输。
The drones look like bigger versions of the paper airplanes we used to make as kids.But this light flyer is not a toy.It is aerodynamically designed and equipped with a small computer, a battery and sensors to guide it to the ground.
这款无人机看起来像我们小时候做的纸飞机的加大版本。但这个轻型飞行器并不是一个玩具。它根据空气动力学设计而来，配备了小型计算机，电池和传感器，以引导它到地面。
The drones are being developed by Otherlab – a technology research company in San Francisco, California.It calls the drone a “Sky Machine.”
这款无人机是由加利福尼亚州旧金山的技术研究公司Otherlab开发的。他们称此款无人机为“天空机”。
The company says it can travel about 150 kilometers at speeds up to 88 kilometers an hour.Currently, it can carry materials weighing up to one kilogram, but future models are expected to carry larger loads.
该公司表示，它可以以高达88公里每小时的速度行驶大约150公里。目前，它可以承载重达1公斤的材料，但未来的型号预计可以承载更大的负载。
One of the drone’s main advantages is that it does not have a heavy motor or large battery.This allows more room for materials and makes the drone cost less to build and operate.
无人机的主要优点之一是它没有重型电机或大块电池。这使得更多的空间可以用于材料，也使得无人机制作和操作的成本变得更低。
The Otherlab development team has called its invention the “Ikea of drones.”This is because it is packaged similarly to products from the Swedish furniture maker Ikea.The drone arrives as flat pieces of pre-cut cardboard that can be quickly and easily put together.
Otherlab开发团队将其发明称为“宜家无人机”。这是因为它被包装为类似于瑞典家具制造商宜家的产品。无人机到货时是已裁剪好的硬纸板，可以快速容易的组装在一起。
The technology that guides the drone can make it land within 10 meters of its target, according to Otherlab.Unlike other drones, even a crash landing is acceptable since the aircraft is disposable.The company says the drones can also be reused.
根据Otherlab的说法，目前的技术可以操控无人机在距离目标10米内的范围降落。与其他无人机不同，纸质无人机强行着陆也是可以的，因为它是一次性的。公司表示，无人机也可以重复使用。
Once the drone completes its delivery, it can be thrown away and the cardboard material will likely decompose within a few months.
一旦无人机完成运输，就可以将它丢弃，纸板材料会在几个月内分解。
The company has received money from the U.S. Department of Defense to carry out research on the drones.The money came from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
该公司已接受了美国国防部的投资，对无人机进行研究。钱款来自国防高级研究计划署。
The agency is attempting to find the best delivery vehicles that can disappear after their missions are complete.The U.S. military has a need for delivery drones.But it wants to simplify and lower the cost of using them.Otherlab’s Sky Machines are an attempt to fill that need.
该机构正在试图找到一种在任务完成后可以消失的最佳运输工具。美国军队需要无人机。但它想要简化和降低使用成本。Otherlab的“天空机器”可以尝试满足这种需求。
Military drones can also be stolen and studied by others if found after use.Before they can truly vanish, the electronic materials inside must also somehow disappear.Researchers are still working on ways to get the technology itself to self-destruct.
军用无人机在使用后可能被他人发现，进而被偷走，进行研究。在他们真正消失之前，里面的电子材料也必须设法消失。研究人员仍在研究如何使无人机自我毁灭的技术。
I’m Bryan Lynn.
我是布莱恩·林恩。
|
