VOA慢速英語: 一種無動(dòng)力裝置使行走更輕松

Motor-Free Device Reduces Stress from Walking

Devices that help people walk were once thought to be difficult, if notimpossible, to design. Until recently, such a device required electricity from anexternal power supply. Now, American scientists have built a small, wearableaddition to normal shoes. Their new invention eases the load on muscles in the leg and makes walking easier.

Steven Collins and Greg Sawicki are biomedical engineers. They both studiedhow human beings walk. They found that our ankles and calves performmotions similar to a spring joined to a clutch. In an automobile, a clutch isused to connect and disconnect a driving or driven part of an engine or otherpiece of equipment. The researchers found that the human body parts areable to both store and release energy, just like a spring.

Scientists develop motor-free device that eases stress from walking.

Steven Collins works with Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. GregSawicki is with North Carolina State University. He spoke to VOA on Skype.

"We found in basic science experiments that that system, your calf andAchilles tendon, works a lot like a catapult. So, the muscle holds on to thetendon and your body actually stretches your Achilles tendon quite a bit andthen stores the energy in the tissue and then it's given back to propel youforward in the world."

Mr. Sawicki says he and Mr. Collins designed a mechanical device thatperforms the same kind of energy ‘give-and-take’ outside the body. Their newankle exoskeleton is made of carbon fiber and metal. It connects to ordinaryshoes and takes over part of the work of walking. Mr. Sawicki says thedevice reduces the amount of energy required for walking by as much asseven percent.

The unpowered ankle exoskeleton can help people walk farther with the sameamount of energy. It also can restore normal movement for individuals whohave trouble walking.

Mr. Sawicki says it takes only a few minutes for someone to get used to theankle exoskeleton. He says the wearer quickly learns to use less muscleenergy, letting the device do much of the work.

"You really don't notice it until when you take it off. And when you take it offyou realize that it was there and giving you the boost."

Mr. Sawicki says the device is mainly meant for people recovering from asurgery operation or a stroke. He adds that anyone who spends a lot of timewalking, like hospital workers and policemen, could use the device.

There are no plans to make the ankle exoskeleton available to the generalpublic. But the inventors say some manufacturers have expressed interest in the device.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

VOA’s George Putic prepared this story from Washington. Jonathan Evanswrote it for Learning English. The editor was George Grow.

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Words in this Story

boost – n. help or encouragement; a push upward

exoskeleton – n. an artificial external supporting structure

restore – v. to give back someone or something that was lost or taken : toreturn someone or something

spring – n. a twisted or coiled piece of metal that returns to its original shapewhen it is pressed down or stretched

Motor-Free Device Reduces Stress from Walking

一種無動(dòng)力裝備讓行走更輕松

Devices that help people walk were once thought to be difficult, if not impossible, to design. Until recently, such a device required electricity from an external power supply. Now, American scientists have built a small, wearable addition to normal shoes. Their new invention eases the load on muscles in the leg and makes walking easier.

曾經(jīng)人們認(rèn)為想要造出幫助人行走的裝置是非常困難的，甚至是不可能的。直到最近，這樣的裝備仍需要外部電源提供電力?，F(xiàn)在美國科學(xué)家造出一種小的可帶在普通鞋子上的裝置。這個(gè)新發(fā)明減輕肌肉的活動(dòng)，使行走變得輕松。

Steven Collins and Greg Sawicki are biomedical engineers. They both studied how human beings walk. They found that our ankles and calves perform motions similar to a spring joined to a clutch. In an automobile, a clutch is used to connect and disconnect a driving or driven part of an engine or other piece of equipment. The researchers found that the human body parts are able to both store and release energy, just like a spring.

Steven Collins和Greg Sawicki都是生物醫(yī)學(xué)工程師。他們都在研究人類如何行走。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，我們的腳踝和小腿進(jìn)行運(yùn)動(dòng)的原理與離合器上的彈簧類似。在汽車上，離合器被用于連接或斷開發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)或其它設(shè)備的驅(qū)動(dòng)部分。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，人體的這些部分能夠像彈簧一樣儲(chǔ)存和釋放能量。

Steven Collins works with Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. Greg Sawicki is with North Carolina State University. He spoke to VOA on Skype.

Steven Collins就職于賓夕法尼亞州的卡內(nèi)基·梅隆大學(xué)。Greg Sawicki就職于北卡??羅來納州立大學(xué)。他通過Skype對(duì)美國之音表示。

"We found in basic science experiments that that system, your calf and Achilles tendon, works a lot like a catapult. So, the muscle holds on to the tendon and your body actually stretches your Achilles tendon quite a bit and then stores the energy in the tissue and then it's given back to propel you forward in the world."

他說，“我們發(fā)現(xiàn)在基礎(chǔ)科學(xué)實(shí)驗(yàn)中，小腿和跟腱這一系統(tǒng)就像彈射器一樣工作。肌肉附在跟腱上，當(dāng)身體伸展開跟腱時(shí)，就把能量?jī)?chǔ)存到人體組織中，之后再釋放出來推動(dòng)人們向前行進(jìn)。”

Mr. Sawicki says he and Mr. Collins designed a mechanical device that performs the same kind of energy ‘give-and-take' outside the body. Their new ankle exoskeleton is made of carbon fiber and metal. It connects to ordinary shoes and takes over part of the work of walking. Mr. Sawicki says the device reduces the amount of energy required for walking by as much as seven percent.

Sawicki先生表示，他和Collins先生設(shè)計(jì)出一種機(jī)械裝置，能夠在體外進(jìn)行同樣的能量?jī)?chǔ)存與釋放。他們這種新的外骨腳踝是用碳纖維和金屬制成，可以附加到普通鞋子上并承擔(dān)部分行走工作。Sawicki先生表示，這種裝置可以讓行走所需能量降低7%。

The unpowered ankle exoskeleton can help people walk farther with the same amount of energy. It also can restore normal movement for individuals who have trouble walking.

這種無動(dòng)力外骨腳踝可以幫助人們用相同能量走得更遠(yuǎn)。它還能讓走路困難的人恢復(fù)正常運(yùn)動(dòng)。

Mr. Sawicki says it takes only a few minutes for someone to get used to the ankle exoskeleton. He says the wearer quickly learns to use less muscle energy, letting the device do much of the work.

Sawicki先生表示，人們只需要幾分鐘就能適應(yīng)這種外骨腳踝。他說，佩戴者很快能學(xué)會(huì)使用更少肌肉能量，而讓設(shè)備承擔(dān)很多工作。

"You really don't notice it until when you take it off. And when you take it off you realize that it was there and giving you the boost."

“直到你摘下它你才會(huì)意識(shí)到它的存在以及它給予你的幫助。”

Mr. Sawicki says the device is mainly meant for people recovering from a surgery operation or a stroke. He adds that anyone who spends a lot of time walking, like hospital workers and policemen, could use the device.

Sawicki先生表示，這種設(shè)備主要用來幫助人們從外科手術(shù)或中風(fēng)中康復(fù)。他補(bǔ)充說，醫(yī)院工作人員和警察等長(zhǎng)時(shí)間行走的人群也可以使用這種設(shè)備。

There are no plans to make the ankle exoskeleton available to the general public. But the inventors say some manufacturers have expressed interest in the device.

目前尚無向大眾推廣這種裝備的計(jì)劃。但是設(shè)計(jì)者表示一些廠商已經(jīng)對(duì)此產(chǎn)生了興趣。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

我是Jonathan Evans。