The ability to discern（1） good wine from bad， name the specific brand from a tiny sip（2） and recommend a complementary（3） cheese would seem to be about as human a skill as there is. In Japan， robots are doing it.

    Researchers at NEC System Technologies and Mie University have designed a robot that can taste — an electromechanical sommelier（4） able to identify dozens of different wines， cheeses and hors d'oeuvres（5）。

    "There are all kinds of robots out there doing many different things，" said Hideo Shimazu， director of the NEC System Technology Research Laboratory and a joint-leader of the robot project. "But we decided to focus on wine because that seemed like a real challenge."

    Last month， they unveiled the fruits of their two-year effort — a green-and-white prototype（6） with eyes， a head that swivels and a mouth that lights up whenever the robot talks.

    The "tasting" is done elsewhere， however.

    At the end of the robot's left arm is an infrared（7） spectrometer（8）。 When objects are placed up against the sensor， the robot fires off（9） a beam of infrared light. The reflected light is then analyzed in real time（10） to determine the object's chemical composition.

    "All foods have a unique fingerprint，" Shimazu said. "The robot uses that data to identify what it is inspecting right there on the spot."

    When it has identified a wine， the robot speaks up in a childlike voice. It names the brand and adds a comment or two on the taste， such as whether it is a buttery（11） chardonnay or a full-bodied（12） shiraz， and what kind of foods might go well on the side.

    Shimazu said the robots could be "personalized，" or programmed to recognize the kinds of wines its owner prefers and recommend new varieties to fit its owner's taste. Because it is analyzing the chemical composition of the wine or food placed before it， it can also alert its owner to possible health issues， gently warning against fatty or salty products.

    The 2-foot-tall robot also is expensive.

    "Buying one of these would cost about as much as a new car，" Shimazu said. "We'd like to bring that down to 100，000 yen （$1，000） or less for the tasting sensor if we were to put it on the market."

    He said there is no plan yet to actually market the robot， though the sensor could be available as early as next year.

    1. discern：辨明、识别

    2. sip：吸吮

    3. complementary：互补的，适合的

    4. sommelier：斟酒服务员

    5. hors d'oeuvres：（法语）餐前小点心，在英文菜单中很常见的一个词

    6. prototype：原型

    7. infrared：红外线的

    8. spectrometer：分光计

    9. fire off：发射

    10. real time：实时的

    11. buttery：奶油味，经常用来形容白酒、气泡酒在口感上有奶油的味道

    12. full-bodied：强劲有潜力

    人们认为辨别酒的好坏、品尝一小口就能说出酒的品牌并告诉你何种奶酪与之相配是人类独有的技巧。在日本，机器人也会做。

    NEC系统科技公司和三重大学的研究人员设计出一款能够品酒的机器人。这款电子斟酒侍者能够识别几十种酒、奶酪和餐前小点心。

    NEC系统科技研究实验室主席、本机器人计划合作主要研究人Hideo Shimazu说：“目前很多工作都有专门的机器人来完成。但是我们决定对酒类下手，因为它看上去是一个真正的挑战。”

    上个月，他们首次展示了两年来的研究成果—绿白相间的机器人有一双眼睛、头部可以转动、当它说话的时候嘴巴上的灯光一闪一闪。

    但是，它“品酒”并非用嘴。

    机器人左臂前端是一个红外分光计。当物品被放在传感器前面，机器人就放射一缕红外线。反射光线立刻被机器人分析并说出物品的化学成分。

    Shimazu说：“每种食品都有其独一无二的特点。机器人利用数据鉴定被测物的性质。”

    当机器人鉴明一种酒，就会用童声说出酒的品牌，并就口感给出一两句评价，例如它是醇香的夏敦埃酒还是浓烈的设拉子，什么食物与之最为搭配。

    Shimazu说机器人能够“个性化”，就是说可以根据主人的口味设定程序，以便为主人推荐适合的品牌。由于能够分析酒品和食物的化学成分，它还能提示主人注意健康问题，温和地提醒主人避免食用多脂或者过咸的产品。

    这个2英寸高的机器人十分昂贵。

    Shimazu说：“买一个这样的机器人和买一辆新车差不多。如果要投入市场，我们必须把传感器的价格降到10万日元（1000美元）以下。”

    他说目前没有计划将机器人投入市场，但是明年初可能能推广传感器。