听力文本
Foldable white canes help the visually impaired navigate their surroundings.
But the guide stick's tactile nature offers only so much information.
The cane's user must manually find and avoid obstructions.
But new high-tech canes are on the horizon.
Last year researchers in India tried to fill in some of the missing info with their experimental Smart Cane.
The device uses an attached ultrasonic transmitter and a sensor that vibrates the cane to warn its users when an obstacle is within three meters.
Students at the U.K.'s Birmingham City University are developing a cane that can even identify acquaintances as they approach.
Called the XploR mobility cane,
it includes an embedded digital camera that analyzes the faces of people walking by and compares their images against a database stored on a memory card in the cane's handle.
If there's a facial recognition match,the cane alerts the user's smartphone via Bluetooth.
The phone then identifies the approaching person to the user via its speaker or earbuds.
The students are building a prototype they'll test later this year.
The hurdles are significant:
facial recognition is a tough problem, especially outdoors.
But if the XploR works,it could actually give the visually impaired a leg up on everyone else—especially those of us who never remember people's names.

参考译文

可折叠的白色手杖能够帮助盲人探知周围环境tTd~hKxAmJnwz~vuk。
但这种导航手杖的触觉特性只能提供这样的信息WHjV@X,S@~RTRRe。
手杖的使用者必须自己进行感知避免被撞到F=OtB9]9++@qRm。
但最新型的高科技手杖即将问世gU@Lfh]8NX;apx]uV6Z。
去年印度的研究人员们试图在他们研发实验的智能手杖中加入遗失的信息kS_h8WEzTJhO+!J+。
这种手杖安装了超声波发射器和传感器，3米之内出现障碍物时就会通过振动向手杖主人发出警报]Fd@IUS4370。
而英国伯明翰城市大学的学生们正在研发一种熟人走近就将可以进行识别的新手杖]dq|0@WoOEEWU。
学生们为这款手杖起的名字是XploR机动手杖IU5#NZiU8%WY2^_n。

这款的手杖包含一台分析过路人面孔的嵌入式数码相机，而后与手柄内部的存储卡数据库中的图片进行对比L9bmsD7SbPhtB。
如果面部识别相匹配，手杖就会通过使用者智能手机上的蓝牙进行提醒gDfSwhL9|G_Z。
然后智能手机通过扬声器或耳机提醒使用者辨识熟人身份l~;4*L&FfB+FaTZ^Y8*。
目前学生们正在研发这款设备的原型，预计今年晚些时候会进行相关测试6#ZcPg;k+1eS。
而且他们目前面临很多难题：
因为面部识别是很困难，尤其是在户外aQj7.l.8Bbf=S5yL,。
但如果XploR行之有效，这款手杖可能会在很大程度上帮助到盲人—尤其是那些总是记不住别人名字的人uXIFZ2t#_FSKZ=s]gv。

译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！

重点讲解

1.on the horizon 几乎肯定会很快发生的

例句:There are glimmers of hope on the horizon.
就快看见希望的曙光了LnnUvVYCO2c。

2.try to 设法；试着

例句:I try to remember all the good times I've had here.
我试着回忆在这里度过的所有美好时光UJP8a@&,6Uo7GH].。

3.approach to 接近；类似

例句:We have a very communicative approach to teaching languages.
我们在语言教学中非常强调交际教学法R^01]sQw;_cJ。