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The U.S. military may soon be getting its own Transformer. |
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No, we won't be seeing shape-shifting robots on the front lines any time soon, but this real-life Transformer is no less fantastic. |
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It is a roadworthy troop vehicle that can also fly and hover above the battlefield, evoking images straight out of science fiction works like Blade Runner and the Star Wars films. |
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美國軍方可能在不久之後就會擁有他們自己的變形金剛了。當然，我們在近期內不可能看到變形機器人在前線作戰，但這具真實的變形金剛也同樣令人驚嘆。這是一輛能夠飛行並且在戰場上盤旋的軍事陸地運輸車，讓人不禁聯想到《銀翼殺手》與星際大戰系列電影等科幻作品中的畫面。 |
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The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is currently awarding grants to scientists and private contractors to develop the technology that will be used in the Transformer program. |
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Last week, it gave a $988,000 contract to the robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University to create the Transformer's flight system. |
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五角大廈國防高等研究計畫局（DARPA）目前正補助科學家與私人包商，開發變形金剛計畫所需的科技。上週，該局由卡內基美隆大學機器人研究所承接了一項九十八萬八千美元的合約，負責開發變形金剛的飛行系統。 |
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The institute has experience developing automated flying vehicles, which will come in handy when creating a craft that can transition from ground to air combat situations with ease. |
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該所大學擁有研發自動飛行器的經驗，這項經驗將有助於他們製作一部能夠輕易從陸戰轉為空戰的飛行器。 |
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"The [Transformer] is all about flexibility of movement, and the key to that concept is the idea that the vehicle could be operated by a soldier without pilot training," said Sanjiv Singh, a CMU research professor of robotics. |
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卡內基美隆大學的機器人學研究教授辛格表示：「變形金剛的重點在於移動的靈活性，而這項概念的關鍵就是，這架飛行器可以由未受過飛行員駕駛訓練的士兵操控。」 |
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"In practical terms, that means the vehicle will need to be able to fly itself, or to fly with only the minimal input from the operator," Singh said. |
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"And this means that the vehicle has to be continuously aware of its environment and be able to automatically react in response to what it perceives." |
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「就實用層面而言，這部交通工具必須能夠自動飛行，或是駕駛員僅需輸入最少的指令便能飛行，」辛格說：「這就表示這部交通工具必須隨時察覺置身的環境，也必須對其接收到的狀況自動有所反應。」 |
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DARPA has already chosen five other contractors for the Transformer program, also known as the TX program. |
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Lockheed Martin Co. and AAI Corp. are handling the design concepts for the vehicle. |
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The agency frequently outsources research and development to businesses in the private sector. |
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DARPA 已經為變形金剛計畫──又稱為TX計畫──挑選了另外五家包商。洛克希德馬丁公司與全美國際公司負責載具的設計構想。DARPA 經常將研發工作外包給私人企業。 |
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The Transformer would carry four soldiers and up to 1,000 pounds of equipment over 250 miles by land or air. |
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變形金剛將可載運四名士兵和重量高達一千磅的裝備，陸空路程可達兩百五十英里。 |
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"Its enhanced mobility would increase survivability by making movements less predictable and would make the vehicle suitable for a wide variety of missions, such as scouting, resupply and medical evacuation," said CMU in a written statement. |
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「這部載具的強化機動性能讓敵人難以預測移動模式而提高留存機率，也能夠讓這部載具執行各種不同任務，例如偵察、補給與醫療運送，」卡內基美隆大學在一份書面聲明中表示。 |
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