Ask all possible questions to the text

Exercise 2

Look through the text again and find all the definitions connected with automation

 

Exercise 3

Using a dictionary, find in the text English equivalents to the following Russian words, word combinations and chemical terms:

Nouns: слой, одеяло, вещество, дно, вершина, уровень, свидетельство.

Verbs : упоминать, вести, загрязнять, дышать, улетучиваться, добавить. Выяснить, доказать, выделять, (изолировать).

Adjectives: тонкий, глубокий, перемешанный, обычный.

Adverbs: вокруг, вдруг, точно, стихийно, начало, позже, постепенно, полностью, много, почти, в отличие, около.

Prepositions and conjunctions: c тex nop кaк; до сих пор.

Word combinations: очень сильно, возможно состояла, другими словами, наилучший способ, совершенно легко, иначе говоря, можно было бы назвать.

 

Exercise 4

Read the text for the third time, write out the main sentence(s) of each logical part and translate them into Russian.

 

Exercise 5

Combine the sentences you’ve written out into a summary. Then rewrite them in your own words, omitting unnecessary details.

 

UNIT 16

TEXT 16. HISTORY OF ROBOTICS

The concept of robots dates back to ancient times, when some myths told of mechanical beings brought to life. Such automata also appeared in the clockwork figures of medieval churches, and in the 18th century some clockmakers gained fame for the clever mechanical figures that they constructed. Today the term automaton is usually applied to these handcrafted, mechanical (rather than electromechanical) devices that imitate the motions of living creatures. Some of the “robots” used in advertising and entertainment are actually automata, even with the addition of remote radio control.

The term robot itself is derived from the Czech word robota, meaning “compulsory labour”. It was first used by the Czech novelist and playwright Karel Chapek, to describe a mechanical device that looks like a human but, lacking human sensibility, can perform only automatic, mechanical operations. Robots as they are known today do not only imitate human or other living forms. True robots did not become possible, however, until the invention of the computer in the 1940s and the miniaturization of computer parts. One of the first true robots was an experimental model designed by researchers at the Stanford Research Institute in the late 1960s. It was capable of arranging blocks into stacks through the use of a television camera as a visual sensor, processing this information in a small computer.

Computers today are equipped with microprocessors that can handle the data being fed to them by various sensors of the surrounding environment. Making use of the principle of feedback, robots can change their operations to some degree in response to changes in that environment. The commercial use of robots is spreading, with the increasing automation of factories, and they have become essential to many laboratory procedures. Japan is the most advanced nation exploring robot technology. Nowadays robots continue to expand their applications. The home-made robots (горничная) available today may be one sign of the future.

 

Vocabulary:

to date back –

device – устройство

imitate – имитировать; копировать; подделывать

capable – способный

stack – кипа (штабель); пакет; укладывать

feedback – обратная связь

in response to – по отношению к

procedure – процедура; порядок; производство дел

to expand – расширять(ся), увеличивать(ся) в объеме, развивать(ся)

available – доступный

 

Exercise 1

Give Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations.

1) research worker; 2) well-ordered; 3) majority; 4) firmly; 5) were convinced; 6) particles; 7) advanced; 8) realized; 9) unsuccessful; 10) to influence; 11) could not bear; 12) had been appointed; 13) density;

14) disorder; 15) comparison; 16) according to; 17) similarity; 18) applied; 19) increasing; 20) insight; 21) for example; 22) weight; 23) tools; 24) nucleus; 25) lucidly; 26) to exercise.

Exercise 2

Match the synonyms in ex. 1 and ex. 2:

a) to affect; b) investigator; c) were sure; d) unlucky; e) resolutely; f) progressive; g) had been given a position instruments; h) for instance; i) centre; j) centre; k) very small bits; 1) understood; m) to exert;

n) chaos; o) likeness; p) making greater; q) collation; r) properly organized; s) in agreement with; t) thickness; u) used; v) disliked very much; w) intuitive cognition; x) heaviness; y) clearly; z) a greater number.

Exercise 3

Read the text for the third time, write out the main sentence(s) of each logical part and translate them into Russian.

 

Exercise 4

Combine the sentences you’ve written out into a summary. Then rewrite them in your own words, omitting unnecessary details.

Robots in manufacturing

Today most robots are used in manufacturing operations. The applications of robots can be divided into three cаtegories:

1. material handling

2. processing operations

3. assembly and inspection.

Material-handling is the transfer of material and load-i ng and unloading of machines. Material-transfer applications require the robot to move materials or work parts from one to another. Many of these tasks are relatively simple: robots pick up parts from one conveyor and place them on another. Other transfer operations are more complex, such as placing parts in an arrangement that can be calculated by the robot. Machine loading and unloading operations utilize a robot to load and unload parts. This requires the robot to be equipped with a gripper that can grasp parts. Usually the gripper must be designed specifically for the particular part geometry.

In robotic processing operations, the robot manipulates a tool to perform a process on the work part. Examples of such applications include spot welding, continuous arc welding and spray painting. Spot welding of automobile bodies is one of the most common applications of industrial robots. The robot positions a spot welder against the automobile panels and frames to join them. Arc welding is a continuous process in which robot moves the welding rod along the welding seam. Spray painting he manipulation of a spray-painting gun over the surface of the object to be coated. Other operations in this category include grinding and polishing in which a rotatingspindle serves as the robot’s tool. The third application area of industrial robots is assembly and inspection. The use of robots in assembly is expected to increase because of the high cost of manual labour. But the design of the product is an important aspect of robotic assembly. Assembly methods that are satisfactory for humans are not always suitable for robots. Screws and nuts are widely used for fastening in manual assembly, but the same operations are extremely difficult for a one-armed robot.

Inspection is another area of factory operations in which the utilization of robots is growing. In a typical inspection job, the robot positions a sensor with respect to the work part and determines whether the part answers the quality specifications. In nearly all industrial robotic applications, the robot provides a substitute for human labour. There are certain characteristics of industrial jobs performed by humans that can be done by robots:

1. the operation is repetitive, involving the same basic work motions every cycle,

2. the operation is hazardous or uncomfortable for the human worker (for example: spray painting, spot welding, arc welding, and certain machine loading and unloading tasks),

3. the workpiece or tool are too heavy and difficult to handle,

4. the operation allows the robot to be used on two or three shifts.

 

Vocabulary:

handling – обращение

transfer ['trӕ nsfә: ] – передача, перенос

arrangement – расположение

to utilize ['ju: tilaiz] – утилизировать, находить применение

gripper ['gripә ] – захват

to grasp – схватывать

spot welding – точечная сварка

arc welding – электродуговая сварка

spray painting – окраска распылениемь spray

grinding – шлифование

spindle – шпиндель

hazardous – опасный

shift [ʃ ift] – смена

 

Exercise 1

Answer the questions for general understanding:

1. How are robots used in manufacturing?

2. What is material handling?

3. What does a robot need to be equipped with to do loading and unloading operations?

4. What does robot manipulate in robotic processing operation?

5. What is the most common application of robots in automobile manufacturing?

6. What operations could be done by robot in car manufacturing industry?

7. What are the main reasons to use robots in production?

8. How can robots inspect the quality of production?

9. What operations could be done by robots in hazardous or uncomfortable for the human workers conditions?

 

Exercise 2

Translate into English:

1. Существует несколько различных сфер использования автоматизации в производстве.

2. Для использования жесткой автоматизации необходимы большие инвестиции.

3. Жесткая автоматизация широко используется в химическеой промышленности.

4. Станки с числовым программным управлением – хороший пример программируемой автоматизации.

5. Гибкая автоматизация делает возможным перепрограммирование оборудования.

6. Время простоя оборудования оборачивается большими убытками.

7. Использование гибкой автоматизации делает возможным производство разнообразной продукции.

 

UNIT 17

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