A University of Nebraska professor has developed robotic cones and barrels(錐形路標和路障). ____1____ They can even be programmed to move on their own at any particular part of the day, said Shane Farritor, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Nebraska.

For example, if workers arrived at 6 a.m., the cones could move from the side of the highway to block off the lane at that time. ____2____ “It just seems like a very good application for robots,”Farritor said. “The robotic cones would also help remove people from hazardous jobs on the highway putting barrels and cones into place,”Farritor said in a report on his creation.

____3____ This fund allowed Farritor to work on the project with graduate students at Nebraska and his assistant Steve Goddard.

The robots are placed at the bottom of the cones and barrels and are small enough not to greatly change the appearance of the construction aides(輔助用具). “It would look exactly the same,”Farritor said. “Normally there's a kind of rubbery, black base to them. ____4____”

Farritor has talked with Officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads about how the robots would be most useful to what they might need.

The robots could come in handy following a slow-moving maintenance operation,like painting a stripe on a road or moving asphalt,where now the barrels have to be picked up and moved as the operation proceeds. “That way you don't have to block off a 10-mile strip for the operation,”Farritor said.

While prototypes have been made, they are not in use anywhere. Farritor said he has applied for a patent and is considering what to do next. ____5____He is also thinking about marketing the robots to roads departments and others across the country who may benefit from them.

A. And they can return to the original place at the end of the day.

B. He is thinking about starting a small business.

C. Farritor was“Inventor of the Year”in 2003.

D. Work on the idea began in 2002 using a National Academy of Sciences grant.

E. We replace that with a robot.

F. These robotic cones and barrels can move out of the way, or into place, from computer commands made miles away.

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（責(zé)任編輯：vstara）

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