摩天大楼的智能擦窗工

胡君祥

摩天大樓的洗窗工被称为世界上最难的工作之一。在美国，这个职业的工资可以达到每小时27美元以上，通常工人们需要悬挂在离地面数百米的高空进行作业。一名中学生使这项工作不再是个难题，他发明了可以清洁摩天大楼的窗户的机器人。

1. skyscraper /skaskrep（r）/ n. 摩天大楼

2. tackle /tkl/ v. 处理

3. buffer /bf（r）/ n. 缓冲器

4. squeegee /skwidi/ n. 橡皮刮水刷

5. propeller /prpel（r）/ n. 螺旋桨

6. commercialize /kmlaz/ v. 商业化

“Washing windows on a skyscraper is a dirty job. Hanging off the side of a building can also be incredibly dangerous，” notes Oliver Nicholls， 19. So this 12thgrader from Sydney， Australia， invented a robot to tackle the job.

Some recent incidents inspired his project. In one， a couple of highrise window washers were standing on a platform that collapsed. No one died， but the pair were seriously injured. Oliver also witnessed someone fall and break his leg while cleaning a glass awning over the entrance to a building.

The new robot is about the size of a mediumsized picnic cooler and weighs 12 to 15 kilograms （26 to 33 pounds）. It's designed to hang off the side of a building from ropes or cables， just as current windowwashing platforms do. A hose carries water to the robot. A cable delivers it electric power.

The robot cleans windows much as a human would. But the device is controlled by a computer program. First， the robot sprays a small amount of water onto a window. Then， it moves up and down and across the window. Buffers covered with tiny fibers rub against the glass， scrubbing away any dirt. As the robot moves， it uses a windshieldwiperstyle squeegee to remove any water left behind.

The computer controls the robot's upanddown movements by adjusting the ropes or cables from which the device hangs. When the robot needs to move from one window to another， a set of propellers kicks into gear. They push the robot a short distance away from the building， while the cables slide along a railing to carry the robot over to the next window. Then， as a different set of propellers holds the robot tight against the window， the cleaning cycle repeats.

Oliver tested his robot by cleaning sample windows he'd built in his backyard. “The robot's propellers can hold the robot against a building even in winds as high as 45 kilometers （28 miles） per hour，” the teen reports. He performed those tests using his family's leaf blower.

Oliver showed the robot here， this week， at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair （ISEF）. The science fair competition was created by Society for Science & the Public， or SSP， and is sponsored this year by Intel. The 2018 event brought together almost 1，800 finalists from 81 countries.

Besides limiting the chance of injury， this windowwashing robot could save building owners a bit of money. If commercialized， Oliver estimates it would cost about $11，000 to buy. “That's about the same cost as hiring a crew to clean a 7story building，” he notes. So Oliver suspects his robot might be able to pay for itself after cleaning just one such building.

1. What encouraged Oliver to develop his project？

A. Accidents he experienced. B. His interest in robot design.

C. High costs of washing windows. D. Risks facing highrise window washers.

2. What do we know about the robot？

A. It hangs from ropes or cables while working. B. It can produce power while working.

C. It is supported by a platform. D. It carries water itself.

3. Why did Oliver test his robot in his backyard？

A. To see its windresistance ability.

B. To record how efficiently his robot can work.

C. To test the safety of its working environment.

D. To know if it needs a different set of propellers.

4. What does the last paragraph imply about the robot？

A. It is costly but timesaving. B. It still has many limitations.

C. It has huge commercial potential. D. It has been a favorite of building owners.

Difficult sentence

It's designed to hang off the side of a building from ropes or cables， just as current windowwashing platforms do.

【翻譯】

【点石成金】该句里的just as current windowwashing platforms do是as引导的比较状语从句。