Difficult RC Question

[ashish2013]

[source: GRE Verbal Grail Passage #24]

 

The Cyclopses, according to mythology, were a race of bad-tempered and rather stupid one-eyed giants. Not, perhaps, a great portend for a new generation of robots. But Andrew Davison, a computer scientist at Imperial College, London, thinks one eye is enough for a robot, provided its brain can think fast enough. For a robot to work autonomously, it has to understand its environment. Stereoscopic vision, integrating the images from two “eyes” looking at the same thing from different angles, is one approach to achieve this, but it involves a lot of complicated computer processing. The preferred method these days, therefore, is SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), which uses sensors such as laser-based range finders that “see” by bouncing beams of light off their surroundings and timing the return.

 

For the following question, consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.

 

1. Which of the following assertions can be made from the information in the passage?

 

A. A Robots with two eyes is most likely making use of stereoscopic vision

B. Cyclopses were mythical beings with one eye and small stature

C. SLAM is probably simpler than Stereoscopic vision

 

OA is A and C. Can anyone explain how can option C be inferred from the passage ? Also please let me know what does "assertion" mean ? Does it mean "inference" ?

[gbd97]

HI,

yes, this is inference question.

AND, C is inferred from this lines, ""Stereoscopic vision, integrating the images from two “eyes” looking at the same thing from different angles, is one approach to achieve this, but it involves a lot of complicated computer processing. The preferred method these days, therefore, is SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), which utses sensors such as laser-based range finders that “see” by bouncing beams of light off their surroundings and timing the return.""

 

As you can see, Stereoscopic was complicated (but it involves a lot of complicated computer processing) and SLAM is preferred , because it was less complicated.

[Rapha92]

Well, first I would say that assertion in this case means "argument" or "claim".

Secondly A and C are correct because of the following:

-A: a robot has to understand its environment, which can be done in two approaches, one being stereoscopic vision, the other is SLAM. Since Stereoscopic vision requires 2 eyes, and SLAM only one, a robot with two eyes will use Stereoscopic vision, as otherwise the integration of a second eye would be unnecessary.

- B is false, as cyclopses were not of small stature, as nothing about their stature is mentioned in the passage.

 

- C: It is stated that, stereoscopic vision involves a lot of complicated computer processing. in the next sentence it says, that therefore the preferred method is SLAM. Thus it can be concluded, that SLAM is preferred over stereoscopic vision, because it is simpler.