Step 1
Read the Article
Read the article to understand the main idea.
記事を読んで、おおよその内容をつかみましょう。
Sony’s Ace robot gives top table tennis players a hard game
A new study says Ace, a table tennis robot, can challenge very strong human players and sometimes win. The robot was made by Sony, a Japanese electronics company.
Sony built Ace with a moving arm and many cameras around the court. The robot can watch the ball very closely and check its spin by following the logo on it.
“There’s no way to program a robot by hand to play table tennis. You have to learn how to play from experience,” said Sony AI researcher Peter Dürr. The robot learned to play from experience by trying many times. The study was published in Nature, a science journal.
Some skilled players said they were surprised by Ace. Sony also said Ace may be the first robot to play a common sport at an expert human level. After the study, Ace learned more and became faster, and beat three of four high-skill players.
(AP)
Step 2
Check the Vocabulary and Phrases
Check the following vocabulary and phrases.
以下の単語やフレーズの発音、意味、使い方を確認しましょう。
electronics
電子技術
the scientific study of electric current and the technology that uses it
She studied electronics in college and now works for a tech company.
彼女は大学で電子技術を学び、今はテクノロジー企業で働いています。
program
プログラムする
to give a machine instructions to do a particular task
He learned how to program the robot to move in a straight line.
彼はそのロボットがまっすぐ動くようにプログラムする方法を学びました。
publish
公表する
to make information available to the public
The school will publish the test results next week.
その学校は来週、試験結果を公表します。
journal
学術誌
a serious magazine or newspaper that is published regularly about a particular subject
She found the article in a health journal at the library.
彼女は図書館でその記事を健康に関する学術誌で見つけました。
expert
熟練した
done with, having or involving great knowledge or skill
We need expert help to fix this computer problem.
このコンピューターの問題を直すには、熟練した人の助けが必要です。
Step 3
Comprehension Questions
Answer the following questions based on the article.
理解度問題に挑戦しましょう。
What can the table tennis robot Ace do against strong human players?
How did the robot Ace learn to play table tennis from experience?
Step 4
Discussion
Share your opinions on the following questions.
以下の質問について、自分の考えを述べてみましょう。
Do you like playing table tennis or watching it? Why?
How would you feel when you play a game against someone much better than you?
What do you think about playing games against a robot? Would it be fun or difficult? Why?
How do you think technology like robots can change sports in the future?
Do you think it is a good idea for robots to become better than humans in games or sports? Why?