UPS Testing Drones for Its Package Delivery System
VOA News
September 23, 2016 12:37 PM (source)
UPS Testing Drones for Its Package Delivery System
UPS測試無人機包裹運送系統
September 23, 2016 12:37 PM
Associated Press
One of the world's largest package delivery companies is stepping up efforts to integrate drones into its system.
UPS has partnered with robot-maker CyPhy Works to test the use of drones to make commercial deliveries to remote or difficult－to－access locations.
The companies began testing the drones on Thursday， when they launched one from the seaside town of Marblehead. The drone flew on a programmed route for 3 miles over the Atlantic Ocean to deliver an inhaler at Children's Island.
The successful landing was greeted by jubilant shouts from CyPhy Works and UPS employees on the island to witness the test.
＂I thought it was fantastic，＂ said John Dodero， UPS vice president for industrial engineering.
CyPhy Works founder Helen Greiner， who previously co-founded robot-maker iRobot， said the drone tests with UPS allow her company to gather engineering and cost information and then work with UPS to look at where drones can add the most value to UPS' extensive network.
Still， the robot-maker doesn't see drones replacing delivery trucks， bikes， buggies or gondolas anytime soon.
＂Drones aren't going to take the place of all delivery， but there are places where you have inaccessible location， an emergency situation where the infrastructure is down， you want or need the package quickly -these are the areas where drones will be the best way to get a package to a location，＂ Greiner said.
It's not all clear skies for drones， though.
Newly revised federal aviation regulations don't permit commercial drones to fly over people not involved in their operations and require them to remain within line of sight of their operators at all times， effectively rendering commercial deliveries impossible. But those restrictions aren't keeping drone-makers and their partners from racing to develop technology suitable for commercial deliveries while they work with regulators to tweak existing rules.
United Parcel Service Inc.， based in Atlanta， isn't the only company testing drones. Wal-Mart is testing drones it says will help it manage its warehouse inventory more efficiently， and Amazon.com is testing them for home delivery.
CyPhy Works Inc.， based in Danvers， manufactures tethered surveillance drones capable of remaining airborne for hours while streaming reconnaissance data that can't be intercepted， jammed or spoofed.
世界上最大的包裹運送公司之一正加大馬力(step up efforts to . . .)把無人機(drones)整合(integrate)進其運輸系統。
UPS（優比速公司，United Parcel Service；下文以UPS稱之）與機器人製造商CyPhy Works合夥(partner)，測試無人機在偏遠地區或不易到達的(difficult-to-access)地點的商用運輸。
這兩間公司於（新聞時間）週四時在海濱城市馬布爾黑德(Marblehead)啟動了一架無人機，開始這項測試。無人機依循著規劃中的路線(route)飛行了3英里的距離，橫過亞特蘭大海洋，將（醫療用）吸入器送達了小孩島(Children's Island)。
在小孩島上的CyPhy Works和UPS的員工用歡欣的(jubilant)喝采聲迎接無人機的成功著陸，見證了這項測試。
UPS掌管工業工程的副總約翰‧多德洛(John Dodero)說：「測試的結果真棒！」
CyPhy Works的創始人，也是機器人製造公司iRobot的前共同創始人海倫‧格蘭納(Helen Greiner)表示，公司透過這次與UPS合作的測試，能蒐集無人機的工程設計與成本資訊，並能與UPS一同探究在其廣大的運輸網絡中，無人機將於何處能產生最大價值。
儘管如此，這間機器人製造公司仍認為，無人機並不會在短期之內取代運送用的貨車、腳踏車、小車或小船。
格蘭納表示：「無人機將不會取代(take the place of . . .)所有的運送方式。當需要送貨到一些不易抵達的(inaccessible)地點時，或是在無法透過基礎建設運輸但需將包裹快速送達的緊急狀況下，無人機將會是把包裹運送到位的最好方式。」
然而，無人機的前景並非晴空萬里。（編按：“clear skies”是「晴朗的天空」的意思。這裡是一語雙關的用法，句中加上了否定的not，表示無人機飛翔的天空並不會晴空萬里，意味著無人機的發展「仍有阻礙」。）
最新修改過的聯邦飛行法規規定，商用無人機不得飛越與作業無關的人群，且必須全程(at all times)在操作員的視線內飛行，這些規定使得(render)無人機實際上幾乎不可能用於商業運輸。但此諸多限制並不阻礙無人機的製造商和其商業伙伴競逐開發讓無人機適合於商業運輸的技術，而同時製造商也與監管人員合作，對現行法規進行微調(tweak)。
總部位於亞特蘭大(Atlanta)的UPS並非唯一測試無人機的公司。沃爾瑪公司(Wal-Mart)亦測試無人機的使用，稱其將能提高倉庫庫存(inventory)管理的效率，而亞馬遜網路公司(Amazon)則測試將無人機用於宅配服務。
總部位於丹弗斯(Danvers)的CyPhy Works公司也製造出能持續在空中(airborne)數小時的有接線的(tethered)監視(surveillance)用無人機，能串流回傳偵察(reconnaissance)資料，且資料不會被攔截(intercept)、堵塞卡住(jam)，或是遭人為操弄(spoof)。
Language Notes
step up efforts (v phr) 做出最大努力；極力從事於……
*注意effort為複數
integrate (v) 整合
*常搭配介系詞“into”或“with”: integrate A into B是指「將A整合進B」，integrate A with B則指「將A與B整合」
drone (n) 無人駕駛的飛機
*本字原指「嗡嗡聲；低沉單調的聲音」，亦作動詞，即「低沉單調地說……」
partner (v) 合夥；成為搭檔
*本字常作名詞，即「伙伴，拍檔；合夥人」；新聞中為動詞用法，搭配介系詞“with”，指「和……搭檔」
route[rut] ; [raʊt] (n) 路線
*本字有兩種發音方式，前者較常見於英式英語，美式英語則兩者皆有
jubilant (a) 歡騰的，喜氣洋洋的
take the place of ( v phr) 代替；取代
infrastructure (n) 基礎建設；公共建設
render (v) 使成為；使變得；使處於某種狀態
tweak (v) 稍稍改進，微調
inventory (n) 庫存；存貨
*本字亦指「存貨清單；財產目錄」
surveillance (n) 看守；監視
tether [`tɛðɚ] (v) 接線
*本字原指「（用繩、鍊等）拴住」，亦作名詞，即「（拴牲畜用的）拴繩，繫鏈」
airborne (a) 在空中的；飛行中的
*字尾-borne表示「以……運載的；以……輸送的；以……傳播的」， “an airborne disease”即為「透過空氣傳染的疾病」
reconnaissance [rɪ`kɑnəsəns] (n) 偵察；勘察
*注意本字重音在第二音節
intercept [ˏɪntɚ`sɛpt] (v) 攔截，截住
*注意本字重音在第三音節
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden answers.
The old plane had great difficulty getting airborne.
You need to integrate exercise into your normal life.
His rudeness rendered me speechless.
The war has badly damaged the country's infrastructure.
Law enforcement agents intercepted a shipment of drugs from Central America.
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