CUADERNILLO Nivel 1 - 2020 - 1ra Parte PDF
CUADERNILLO Nivel 1 - 2020 - 1ra Parte PDF
CUADERNILLO Nivel 1 - 2020 - 1ra Parte PDF
Cuerpo docente
Directora de cátedra I Patricia Almandoz
Directora de cátedra II Marta Garcén
Engineering
SCIENCE
Engineering is the application of science to the optimum conversion of the resources of nature to the
uses of humankind. The field has been defined by the Engineers Council for Professional
Development, in the United States, as the creative application of “scientific principles to design or
develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly
or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to
forecast their behaviour under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function,
economics of operation and safety to life and property.” The term engineering is sometimes more
loosely defined, especially in Great Britain, as the manufacture or assembly of engines, machine
tools, and machine parts.
The words engine and ingenious are derived from the same Latin root, ingenerare, which means “to
create.” The early English verb engine meant “to contrive.” Thus, the engines of war were devices
such as catapults, floating bridges, and assault towers; their designer was the “engine-er,” or military
engineer. The counterpart of the military engineer was the civil engineer, who applied essentially the
same knowledge and skills to designing buildings, streets, water supplies, sewage systems, and other
projects.
Associated with engineering is a great body of special knowledge; preparation for professional
practice involves extensive training in the application of that knowledge. Standards of engineering
practice are maintained through the efforts of professional societies, usually organized on a national
or regional basis, with each member acknowledging a responsibility to the public over and above
responsibilities to his employer or to other members of his society.
The function of the scientist is to know, while that of the engineer is to do. The scientist adds to the
store of verified, systematized knowledge of the physical world; the engineer brings this knowledge
to bear on practical problems. Engineering is based principally on physics, chemistry, and
mathematics and their extensions into materials science, solid and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics,
transfer and rate processes, and systems analysis.
Unlike the scientist, the engineer is not free to select the problem that interests him; he must solve
problems as they arise; his solution must satisfy conflicting requirements. Usually efficiency costs
money; safety adds to complexity; improved performance increases weight. The engineering solution
is the optimum solution, the end result that, taking many factors into account, is most desirable. It
may be the most reliable within a given weight limit, the simplest that will satisfy certain safety
requirements, or the most efficient for a given cost. In many engineering problems the social costs
are significant.
Engineers employ two types of natural resources—materials and energy. Materials are useful
because of their properties: their strength, ease of fabrication, lightness, or durability; their ability to
insulate or conduct; their chemical, electrical, or acoustical properties. Important sources of energy
include fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, gas), wind, sunlight, falling water, and nuclear fission. Since most
resources are limited, the engineer must concern himself with the continual development of new
resources as well as the efficient utilization of existing ones.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/technology/engineering
1. Lea la primera oración de cada párrafo y piense en un subtítulo para cada uno de ellos.
2. ¿Cómo se define la ingeniería? Mencione la diferencia entre EEUU y Gran Bretaña.
3. ¿En qué disciplinas se basa la ingeniería?
4. ¿Qué recursos naturales son utilizados por los ingenieros? ¿De dónde proviene la energía?
b. Analice el origen de la palabra engineer. ¿Qué ocurrió con el concepto engine al agregarle el
sufijo -er? Las terminaciones de las palabras (sufijos) nos ayudan a determinar su función en la
oración: sustantivo, adjetivo, verbo, adverbio. Observe las palabras subrayadas en el texto y
ubíquelas según su terminación en el siguiente cuadro. Tenga en cuenta el ejemplo dado.
application
c. Ubique en el texto las siguientes frases nominales (tenga en cuenta el contexto dado) y
explique la función de la terminación -ing en cada una de ellas:
manufacturing processes
extensive training
floating bridges
engineering
designing buildings
TEXTO 2 - TYPES OF CORROSION
Galvanic corrosion is extraordinarily common, and occurs when two metals with different
electrochemical charges are linked via a conductive path. Corrosion occurs when metal ions move
from the anodized metal to the cathodic metal. In this case, a corrosion resistant coating would be
applied to prevent either the transfer of ions or the condition that causes it. Galvanic corrosion can
also occur when one impure metal is present. If a metal contains a combination of alloys that possess
different charges, one of the metals can become corroded. The anodized metal is the weaker, less
resistant one, and loses ions to the stronger, positively charged cathodic metal. Without exposure to
an electrical current, the metal corrodes uniformly; this is then known as general corrosion.
Stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) can seriously damage a component beyond the point of
repair. When subjected to extreme tensile stress, a metal component can experience SCC along the
grain boundary—cracks form, which are then targets for further corrosion. There are multiple causes
of SCC, including stress caused by cold work, welding, and thermal treatment. These factors,
combined with exposure to an environment that often increases and intensifies stress-cracking, can
mean a part goes from suffering minor stress-corrosion to experiencing failure or irreparable damage.
General corrosion occurs as a result of rust. When metal, specifically steel, is exposed to water, the
surface is oxidized and a thin layer of rust appears. Like galvanic corrosion, general corrosion is also
electrochemical. In order to prevent oxidation, a preventative coating must interfere with the
reaction.
Localized corrosion occurs when a small part of a component experiences corrosion or comes in
contact with specific corrosion-causing stresses. Because the small “local” area corrodes at a much
fast rate than the rest of the component, and the corrosion works alongside other processes such as
stress and fatigue, the end result is much worse than the result of stress or fatigue alone.
Caustic agent corrosion occurs when impure gas, liquids, or solids wear a material down.
Although most impure gases do not damage metal in dry form, when exposed to moisture they
dissolve to form harmful corrosive droplets. Hydrogen sulfide is an example of one such caustic
agent.
In addition to cadmium, zinc, and aluminum coatings, nickel-chromium and cobalt-chromium are
often used as corrosive coatings because of their low level of porosity. They are extremely moisture
resistant and therefore help inhibit the development of rust and the eventual deterioration of metal.
Oxide ceramics and ceramic metal mixes are examples of coatings that are strongly wear resistant, in
addition to being corrosion resistant.
Either….or 2
If 2
Such as 7
In addition to 8
Therefore 8
TEXTO 3 -ENGINEERING CAREER
Responda las siguientes consignas:
The evidence is clear. Rising global temperatures have been accompanied by changes in weather
and climate. Many places have seen changes in rainfall, resulting in more floods, droughts, or
intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves. The planet's oceans and glaciers have
also experienced some big changes - oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice caps are
melting, and sea levels are rising. As these and other changes become more pronounced in the
coming decades, they will likely present challenges to our society and our environment.
Global warming refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near Earth's
surface. It is caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Global warming is causing climate patterns to change. However, global warming itself represents
only one aspect of climate change.
Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended
period of time. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation,
or wind patterns, among other effects, that occur over several decades or longer.
Earth’s temperature depends on the balance between energy entering and leaving the planet’s
system. When incoming energy from the sun is absorbed by the Earth system, Earth warms. When
the sun’s energy is reflected back into space, Earth avoids warming. When energy is released back
into space, Earth cools. Many factors, both natural and human, can cause changes in Earth’s energy
balance.
Scientists have pieced together a picture of Earth’s climate, dating back hundreds of thousands of
years, by analyzing a number of indirect measures of climate such as ice cores, tree rings, glacier
lengths, pollen remains, and ocean sediments, and by studying changes in Earth’s orbit around the
sun. [1]The historical record shows that the climate system varies naturally over a wide range of time
scales. In general, climate changes prior to the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s can be explained
by natural causes, such as changes in solar energy, volcanic eruptions, and natural changes in
greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations. [1]
Recent climate changes, however, cannot be explained by natural causes alone, especially warming
since the mid-20th century. Rather, human activities can very likely explain most of that warming.
Human activities release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere. The majority of greenhouse gases come from burning fossil fuels to produce energy,
although deforestation, industrial processes, and some agricultural practices also emit gases into
the atmosphere.
When sunlight reaches Earth’s surface, it can either be reflected back into space or absorbed by
Earth. Once absorbed, the planet releases some of the energy back into the atmosphere as heat
(also called infrared radiation). Greenhouse gases (GHGs) like water vapor (H 2O), carbon dioxide
(CO2), and methane (CH4) absorb energy, slowing or preventing the loss of heat to space. In this way,
GHGs act like a blanket, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm. This process is
commonly known as the “greenhouse effect”. It is natural and necessary to support life on Earth.
However, the buildup of greenhouse gases can change Earth's climate and result in dangerous
effects to human health and welfare and to ecosystems.
The most important GHGs directly emitted by humans include CO2, CH4, nitrous oxide (N2O), and
several others. The sources are detailed below.
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas that is contributing to recent climate change. CO 2 is
absorbed and emitted naturally as part of the carbon cycle, through animal and plant respiration,
volcanic eruptions, and ocean-atmosphere exchange. Human activities, such as the burning of
fossil fuels and changes in land use, release large amounts of carbon to the atmosphere, causing
CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere to rise.
Methane
Methane is produced through both natural and human activities. For example, natural wetlands,
agricultural activities, and fossil fuel extraction and transport all emit CH 4.Methane is more
abundant in Earth’s atmosphere now than at any time in at least the past 650,000 years. [2] Due to
human activities, CH4 concentrations increased sharply during most of the 20th century.
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide is produced through natural and human activities, mainly through agricultural
activities and natural biological processes. Fuel burning and some other processes also create N 2O.
Concentrations of N2O have risen approximately 18% since the start of the Industrial Revolution,
with a relatively rapid increase towards the end of the 20th century.
Other Greenhouse Gases
Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas and also the most important in terms of its
contribution to the natural greenhouse effect, despite having a short atmospheric lifetime. Some
human activities can influence local water vapor levels. However, on a global scale, the
concentration of water vapor is controlled by temperature, which influences overall rates of
evaporation and precipitation. [1]Therefore, the global concentration of water vapor is not
substantially affected by direct human emissions.
Tropospheric ozone (O3), which also has a short atmospheric lifetime, is a potent greenhouse gas.
Chemical reactions create ozone from emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds
from automobiles, power plants, and other industrial and commercial sources in the presence of
sunlight. In addition to trapping heat, ozone is a pollutant that can cause respiratory health
problems and damage crops and ecosystems.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), together called F-gases, are often used in
coolants, foaming agents, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, and aerosol propellants. Unlike
water vapor and ozone, these F-gases have a long atmospheric lifetime, and some of these
emissions will affect the climate for many decades or centuries.
Black carbon (BC) is a solid particle or aerosol, not a gas, but it also contributes to warming of the
atmosphere. Unlike GHGs, BC can directly absorb incoming and reflected sunlight in addition to
absorbing infrared radiation. BC can also deposit on and darken snow and ice, increasing the snow's
absorption of sunlight and accelerating melt.
Sulfates, organic carbon, and other aerosols can cause cooling by reflecting sunlight. Warming and
cooling aerosols can interact with clouds, changing a number of cloud attributes such as their
formation, dissipation, reflectivity, and precipitation rates. Clouds can contribute both to cooling,
by reflecting sunlight, and warming, by trapping outgoing heat.
Prelectura
- De acuerdo al título y subtítulos, ¿qué tipo de texto va a leer?
- ¿Tiene la organización textual canónica para este tipo de género textual? ¿En qué
se basa para esta decisión?
Lectura
1. Explique con sus palabras por qué el equipo de baseball de Brooklyn, EEUU, se llama
Brooklyn Dodgers.
2. ¿A qué o quién hacen referencia las frases “The Serbian immigrant” y “the 6'4"
immigrant from Eastern Europe”? (Recuadrados en párrafos 8 y 10)
3. El autor expresa “That's where the similarity ended” (subrayado en el texto). ¿A qué
similitud se refiere? ¿Entre quiénes? ¿Por qué llegó a su fin?
4. ¿Qué relación entre ideas expresa el conector IF resaltado en el texto? ¿Qué ideas
conecta?
5. Ingrese a la página web sobre Tesla, Sección Inside the Lab, elija con su compañero
una de las invenciones y sintetícela para el resto de sus compañeros.
TEXTO 6 - VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
Volkswagen is finally ending production of its iconic Beetle, ending an 80-year reign for a
car that began life under Hitler’s Third Reich, became a mainstay of popular culture through
the 1960s and 1970s before being revived with an updated model in 1997.
The German car maker said the last vehicle would be made in Mexico next year, at the only
factory still manufacturing the car. The company said the decision would allow it to focus
on other models, including its portfolio of electric
cars. Hinrich Woebcken, chief executive of
Volkswagen Group of America, said: "The loss of the
Beetle after three generations, over nearly seven
decades, will evoke a host of emotions from the
Beetle's many devoted fans." At its peak it sold more
than a million cars a day, powered in part by the
cinema exploits of Herbie the Love Bug.
But its utilitarian design – developed by Ferdinand Porsche to principles proposed by Adolf
Hitler who wanted a functional, people’s car or “volkswagen” – saw sales decline through
the 1980s, fuelled in part by the rise of the VW Golf. Even so, its distinctive lines and
unpretentious image meant it remained a counterculture favourite.
Production of the original Beetle ended in 2003. A sleeker version, which was bigger and
featured more mod cons with whimsical touches (such as a dashboard vase) was introduced
in 1997, after an experimental, one-off concept car version attracted huge excitement. It
featured a water-cooled engine in the front – unlike the original which used an air-cooled
system at the rear – and has been built at VW’s factory in Puebla, Mexico, since 1999.
Sales dipped in recent years and efforts to straighten its curves and add satnav, making it
more appealing to men, only briefly stemmed the slide. VW sold 29,000 in 2012 but only
8627 last year, according to Autodata Corp.
A 2013 cabriolet
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Revolutionary Rail: High-Speed Rail Plan Will Bring Fast Trains to the
U.S.
The next wave of high-speed rail lines should do away with the rails altogether, say
proponents of magnetic levitation technology
By Stuart F. Brown | May 4, 2010 |
Título Autor
-Europe, Japan or Shanghai - Tokyo and Osaka - Los Angeles to San Francisco
THE BLOG
03/18/2010 05:12 am ET Updated Dec 06,
2017
Have you ever thought about how far we’ve come in our ability to connect with others and
how far we’ll go? I’ve been thinking a lot about connectivity recently and have always found
that looking back to where we came from can help us better understand where we are today
and, more importantly, where we may be going in the future.
About 4,000 years ago, humans developed their first means of non-face-to-face
communication with the discovery of smoke signals and then, about 2,500 years ago, drums.
For the first time, people were able to connect without being in physical proximity to each
other. Amazingly, not much changed in communication technology for the next 2,300 years
or so.
Then, around 1835, Samuel Morse invented the telegraph, setting the stage for the greatest
period of technological development in history that, in a relatively short time, has
transformed our lives so dramatically. Think about it. The telegraph was a clear precursor to
the Internet and the telegram was an early iteration of email.
Alexander Graham Bell’s patent of the telephone in 1876 (many have laid claim to having
invented it) enabled humans to converse directly over great distances as if they were in the
same room.
The facsimile followed closely in the wake of the telephone, paving the way for the immediate
transmission of something other than voice. For the first time, documents could be shared
at a rate far faster than through the mail (what we now quaintly refer to as ‘snail mail’).
Mobile phone technology emerged for commercial use with the car phone around 1979 and
progressively evolved to the present where mobile phones are now considered an
indispensable part of our lives.
In 1994, the Internet was introduced to the public (it had actually been around since the
1960s), and it has likely been the single greatest leap forward in communication technology,
enabling the instantaneous transmission of data, documents, still and moving images, and
voice. It has created a veritable torrent of technology that has given us the Web, email, text
messaging, and an array of applications, for example, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and
Skype, that have dramatically altered the way we connect.
This brief and, admittedly, incomplete history provides a little perspective on how we arrived
at the present. What did all of these communication technologies have in common? They
have incrementally enabled us to connect with other people and access more information in
more rapid, easy, and less costly ways. And each advancement changed our lives in ways
manifest and subtle, direct and indirect, predictable and unexpected. Connectivity may be
the most powerful tool in our lives today, with informational, economic, social, cultural, and
political impact.
What then of the future of connectivity? What new technologies will be developed that will
further change our lives? Perhaps we need look no further than science fiction to see what
might become science fact in the not-too-distant future. Will we receive visual and auditory
tweets through eyeglasses and ear pieces, respectively? Perhaps 3-D holographic telephone
conversations? In the distant future, instead of voice recognition, how about thought
recognition?
My concern is not in the technology itself; we cannot and should not try to slow or halt the
inexorable march of progress. My interest is in our relationship with that technology and my
concern is in how technology will affect us. Will we be passive recipients — dare I say
victims? — of technology who allow it to change our lives for better or worse without
consideration? Or can we be masters of our technology and deliberately harness its
tremendous value while minimizing its risks?
The answer to these questions will depend not only on the technology itself that is developed,
but also on our exploration of how new technology will influence our lives. Could anyone
have predicted how the latest communication technology would change our lives? Maybe
not, but I think it would be worth a try. Good questions to ask include:
Yes, let us continue to nurture emerging technology to further connectivity. But the journey
of progress shouldn’t be guided by developers and engineers alone. Such a trip leaves behind
other important aspects of connectivity, namely, our relationship with the technology itself,
where the risk is that the technology will lead us a down a road of unintended consequences
rather than our leading the technology down a road of our choosing.
Let’s not forget that technology is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. What is
that end? Enhancing the quality of our lives. Yet can we say unequivocally that the latest
technology has done that? I’m not so sure. With that purpose in mind, bringing technologists
together with those who reside at the nexus of technology and humanity, for example,
experts from psychology, philosophy, and sociology, would be invaluable in answering these
questions. Though computer and communication companies use neuroscientists in the
“micro” development of technology (e.g., GUIs) and there is some academic study of these
issues, I haven’t found anything to indicate that technologists are exploring the “macro” side
of technology (please correct me if I’m wrong).
Such a collaboration would serve two essential purposes. First, by fully understanding the
relationship between technology and people, developers will actually create technology that
will better serve our needs. Second, such a collaboration will increase the chances that we
will understand the ramifications of new technology and ensure that it will provide the
utmost benefit to humanity with only a minimum of costs.
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Lea y resuelva las siguientes consignas:
Título
Autor
Fecha de
publicación
Tipo textual
Ever since humans first walked the earth, we have relied on plants for our survival. They provide us
with food, shelter, medicine and even the oxygen we breathe. Now, a team of scientists is wondering
if they can protect us from climate change as well.
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego launched a new initiative to
improve on the ability of plants to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it deep in the
soil. They call it “Harnessing Plants.”
“There are a lot of geo-engineering efforts to come up with ways of pulling carbon dioxide out of the
air,” said Joseph Noel, a chemical biologist at Salk who is working on the project. “Plants do this
anyway, so why not try a biological solution as well.”
During the growing season, plants pull more than
100 gigatons of carbon out of the atmosphere
through the process of photosynthesis. But much
of that carbon is eventually released back into the
air as C02 — either because we and other animals
eat the plants or burn them, or they return to the
soil where bacteria and fungi cause them to
decompose.
The effects of this yearly cycle are measurable on
a global scale. The concentration of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere consistently drops
during the Northern Hemisphere’s spring and
summer, when plants are growing across the large
land masses of North America, Europe and Asia.
When winter descends and fewer plants are
growing and others are decaying, the C02
concentrations rise once again.
One of the Salk team’s goals is to find a way to
help plants do a better job of taking the carbon
they absorb from the atmosphere and keeping it
in the soil.
All plants make a substance called suberin that
protects their roots. It’s the same material as the
cork in your wine bottle or on your corkboard. It’s
also the material that makes up the skin of a
potato.
The unique properties of suberin help plants in many ways, said Noel. It makes them more tolerant
of drought and paradoxically, more tolerant of floods. Plants that grow in salt water produce a lot of
suberin because it helps regulate how much salt is absorbed by their roots. It also serves as a
protection against disease.
But perhaps most importantly for the group’s goals, suberin is a carbon-rich polymer that is very
difficult for bacteria and fungi to break down.
Further research in the lab revealed that suberin is one of the most stable forms of carbon in the soil.
That means once carbon from the atmosphere makes it into the ground in the form of suberin, it will
stay there.
Armed with this information, the group plans to breed a variety of plants that can produce more
suberin than they currently do today. “We want them to make bigger roots and deeper roots with
more suberin”.
Of course, for their suberin-rich plants to have an impact on the global carbon cycle, they will have to
be deployed on an enormous scale. In the longer term, the group envisions partnering with
governments around the world to distribute seeds to farmers.
“We have to take as much as 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air and as of now, there are
no viable and scalable ways of taking carbon out of the air,”
Michael Strano, a chemical engineer who works with plants at MIT, noted that there are several
advantages of using plants to sequester carbon. The only energy they need to do their work is
harvested from the sun, plus they can regenerate themselves and are capable of self-repair.
Already the Salk Institute has invested more than $7 million in the initiative, including building six
high-tech climate control rooms that will allow the researchers to test seeds in a variety of climates,
and future climates, from around the world.
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Lea y responda las siguientes consignas.
a. Complete la siguiente información:
Tema del texto: Fecha de publicación:
Fuente: Género textual:
But what if light could do more than just illuminate? What if it could also send streams of
data? Traffic lights, television sets, car headlights, billboards and lamps might all suddenly
become far more important in our daily lives. We could receive maps from a street light, get
news alerts from lamps and download music from electronic posters.
Prof Zabih Ghassemlooy, associate dean for research at Northumbria University, believes
that safety is a major driver. ’We’re now seeing people develop allergies to radiation from
radio waves. Perhaps because of this, society will be reluctant to use them - light under
moderate power is the way forward. Nature has provided us with this for billions of years
and we should be making the most of it.’
But it doesn’t stop there. Resonant-cavity LEDs (RCLEDs), which are similar to RGB LEDs
and are fitted with reflectors for spectral clarity, can now work at even higher frequencies.
Last year, Siemens and Berlin’s Heinrich Hertz Institute achieved a data-transfer rate of
500Mb/sec with a white LED, beating their earlier record of 200Mb/sec. As LED technology
improves with each year, VLC is coming closer to reality and engineers are now turning their
attention to its potential applications.
’In my view, there are two basic areas of application for VLC,’ said Dr Dominic O’Brien
from Oxford University. ’There is what you might call the “augmenting existing
infrastructure” applications - using the solid-state lighting already present and adding a
functionality - and applications where doing it in the visible region has an advantage in terms
of security and performance.’
“Edison researched incandescent lamps and it changed the world – VLC will do the same”
One of the most promising applications is in car-to-car communication. If the headlights on
a car could communicate with the tail lights of the car ahead, VLC collision-avoidance
technology would be hugely significant in the automotive industry. In the same way, traffic
lights could send detailed information of congestion up ahead directly to a vehicle. But, to be
successful, VLC has to prove itself against competing technologies of lidar, radar and RF, as
well as to overcome some of its own technical challenges.
’The problem with using VLC outdoors is dealing with atmospheric conditions,’ explained
Ghassemlooy. ’Fog, smoke and temperature variation are major difficulties. We’re looking
at efficient modulation and coding schemes to see how we can push the beam through the
fog without increasing power to the light source… I think we’re getting closer to getting a
solution every day.’
As well as problems with weather, VLC needs line-of-sight access to send data, restricting
areas where it can operate. But O’Brien points out that its directional approach can also prove
to be an asset. VLC is far more secure than RF signals, which move in many directions and
can easily be intercepted. In military operations where RF-based communications are
restricted during troop movements, VLC could be a viable alternative. For instance, it could
be used to help securely pass information down a convoy of tanks and other military vehicles.
Elsewhere, engineers at Niigata University in Japan are looking at using the technology to
develop a positioning system that gets data from light fixtures. Liu Xiaohan, who is helping
to develop the system, believes it could be used in applications such as guiding visually
impaired people through hospital hallways. ’If we use LED and image sensors as the receiver,
we can reach an accuracy of less than 5cm,’ he said. ’It is far more accurate than other
location technologies, but the biggest problem is cost. Adapting existing light fixtures for
VLC functionality will be a huge task.’
The potential for VLC is huge and researchers are coming close to overcoming many of its
technical challenges. Ghassemlooy is confident that VLC will eventually be accepted as an
integral part of our infrastructure. He confessed to being worried about opposition from
manufacturers with a vested interest in RF, but added that even their support will be won
once the benefits of VLC become apparent.
’Visible light is the story of the human,’ said Xiaohan. ’It’s the first thing we experience
when we come into this world and it’s natural for us to want more. I believe there will be
more and more people getting involved in VLC research. When Thomas Edison did research
into incandescent lamps, it changed the world - VLC will do the same.’
With the research gathering momentum, the technical challenges facing VLC are getting
smaller by the day. But the excitement and activity surrounding it is only just beginning. If it
proves successful, the world could be facing a much brighter future.
Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/the-big-story/light-reading-visible-light-
communications/1007419.article#ixzz3q4atZ6c7
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Responda las siguientes consignas:
1) Lea los dos primeros párrafos introductorios y explique el contraste con el tercer
párrafo.
2) ¿Cómo se llama y en qué consiste la nueva área tecnológica que se está empezando a
investigar? Explique en qué sectores se puede aplicar la nueva tecnología “VLC”.
3) ¿Cuáles son las dificultades que se mencionan en el uso de esta tecnología?
4) ¿Qué ventajas presenta?
5) Describa la aplicación al sistema vial de la tecnología en cuestión.
6) ¿Qué frases a lo largo del texto expresan opinión?
7) Al comienzo de dos párrafos hay un conector de adición y otro de contraste, ¿qué
ideas relacionan?
TEXTO 11- UNIVERSITY PHYSICS WITH MODERN PHYSICS - PART 1