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It's a robotic version of nature's survival of the fittest.
这是机器人版的适者生存。
The mother robot analyzes the performance of each of the children it creates,
机器人妈妈会分析孩子们的功效，
and incorporates preferential traits into the next generation.
并将优良品种植入到下一代身上。
As the mother creates them and puts them to work, she evaluates how they're behaving,
机器人妈妈产生后代，让它们工作，评估它们的工作性能，
and she uses data from this behavior to create the next generation of robots.
之后通过它们的工作数据产生下一代机器人。
There's no human intervention, except for a computer command to create a robot capable of moving from one place to another.
期间没有人类参与，除了一台能够操控机器人左右移动的电脑。
The mother builds its children by gluing together pieces with small motors inside, in different configurations.
机器人妈妈将零件黏合在一起，内部装有马达，结构各不相同。
Then it watches how quickly the children move, keeping the designs of the ones that moved the fastest.
之后观察孩子们的移动速度，将运转快的孩子保留。
The mother robot can actually build hundreds of child robots and see the performance of these child robots.
机器人妈妈可以创造数百个孩子，之后进行观察。
And if their performance is good, keep their design for the next generation. If bad, just you know let it go.
如果性能优越，保留这一设计，如果不好就摒弃。
The motivation to produce better children is controlled by the research team, which provides an incentive.
创造更优良后代的动力是由该研究小组控制，人们会给予鼓励。
We program the robot based on some functions that define the reward the robot is going to get,
我们设计的机器人会根据性能来获得奖励，
depending on the construction that they make.
这取决于它们创建的结构。
They cannot change their own reward. In the case of the child robot, it's distance,
他们无法自行改变奖励，那么对于孩子们而言，那就是距离，
so the longer the distance the robot walks, the better the reward it receives.
谁走的更远，谁就会获得更好的奖励。
After several generations, the children were running twice as fast.
经过几代以后，孩子们的奔跑速度提升到了原来的一倍。
The mother robot generated 500 robots to see what one is good and which one is bad.
机器人妈妈创造500个小机器人，看看哪个性能更好。
The researchers suggest the machines could be used in an auto plant, for example,
研究人员称这类机器可以应用到汽车厂，
where robot cameras scrutinize each car in the assembly line, evaluate any mistakes, and then design a better car.
机器人摄像机可以检验流水线上的每一辆车，评估错误，生产更好的汽车。
Deborah Block VOA News, Washington.
VOA记者黛博拉·布洛克华盛顿报道。
