Technology is developing by leaps and bounds. A gadget as small as a smartphone now has more processing power than rockets to the Moon once had. New tech brings many advantages, making our lives easier and opening up new opportunities. One piece of kit that’s been really taking off recently is the drone. This pilotless mini aircraft, originally developed for aerial photography and warfare, is now bringing us benefits closer to home. In the last few years, tech companies such as Amazon, Alphabet and Uber have promised us delivery drones – bringing goods to our doorsteps in a matter of minutes. Progress in developing them has, however, been slow.↳

技术正在突飞猛进地发展。像智能手机一样小的小工具现在的处理能力比曾经的登月火箭还要强。新技术带来了许多优势，使我们的生活更轻松，并开辟了新的机会。最近真正起飞的一个工具包是无人机。这架最初为航拍和战争而开发的无人驾驶迷你飞行器，现在正在让我们离家更近。在过去的几年里，亚马逊、Alphabet 和优步等科技公司向我们承诺使用送货无人机——在几分钟内将货物送到我们家门口。然而，它们的开发进展缓慢。

Drones are helping to connect with and enhance the lives of people in remote locations. In the UK, the Royal Mail wants a fleet of 500 drones to help deliver the mail to far-flung communities. Windracers, the company developing the drones, say they can fly in fog and produce 30% fewer emissions than comparable piloted aircraft. And in Coventry in the UK, construction has started on an air hub, which will act as a base for police and delivery drones. Urban-Air Port Limited is working with car-maker Hyundai on the mini-airport, known as a skyport.

无人机正在帮助与偏远地区的人们建立联系并改善他们的生活。在英国，皇家邮政需要一支由 500 架无人机组成的机队来帮助将邮件投递到偏远的社区。开发无人机的公司 Windracers 表示，它们可以在雾中飞行，排放量比同类有人驾驶飞机少 30%。在英国的考文垂，一个空中枢纽的建设已经开始，它将作为警察和交付无人机的基地。 Urban-Air Port Limited 正在与汽车制造商现代汽车合作建造迷你机场，即所谓的天空港。

Drones could also play a part in improving the health of millions of people. In Zanzibar, for example, they’re being used to spray wetlands against malaria. And writing for BBC Future website, Harriet Constable describes an incredible development project by the University of South Australia. The plan is for drones to eventually be able to survey populations for disease by reading the blood oxygen levels of humans from the air. They’ll also be able to scan for other vital signs, like coughing and a high temperature.

无人机还可以在改善数百万人的健康方面发挥作用。例如，在桑给巴尔，它们被用于喷洒湿地以抗击疟疾。 Harriet Constable 为 BBC Future 网站撰稿，描述了南澳大利亚大学的一个令人难以置信的开发项目。该计划是让无人机最终能够通过从空气中读取人类的血氧水平来调查人群的疾病情况。他们还将能够扫描其他生命体征，如咳嗽和高温。

It seems the sky’s the limit for what drone technology can achieve. The only thing that sometimes keeps it grounded is regulation. Writing for the BBC, Jessica Brown says: “If our skies are to become as crowded as our streets, airspace rules need updating to prevent accidents.” There are also related problems, such as noise pollution.

似乎天空是无人机技术所能达到的极限。有时唯一能让它接地的是监管。杰西卡·布朗 (Jessica Brown) 为 BBC 撰稿说：“如果我们的天空变得像我们的街道一样拥挤，空域规则需要更新以防止事故发生。”还有相关的问题，比如噪音污染。

词汇表

by leaps and bounds 突飞猛进地，非常迅速地
gadget 小设备
processing power （计算机）处理（数据）能力
tech 科技设备
kit 成套装备
drone 无人机
pilotless 无人驾驶的
aircraft 飞机，飞行器
aerial photography 航空摄影
delivery drone 交付无人机，物流无人机
fleet 机队
emissions 碳排放
piloted 有人驾驶的
air hub 航空枢纽
skyport 小机场
spray 喷洒
survey 检查
scan 扫描
the sky’s the limit 没有限制的
grounded 停飞的
airspace 领空
noise pollution 噪音污染