Your next barista could be a coffee-delivering drone.

你的下一位咖啡师，或许就会是一架无人机了。

IBM has filed a patent for an unmanned aerial vehicle that's capable of dropping off a cup of coffee to employees or café customers before they even ask for one.

据悉，IBM公司目前已经为一种无人驾驶飞行器申请了专利，该飞行器能够在企业员工或咖啡馆顾客提出需求前，就自动飞过去倒上一杯咖啡。

The drone would use sensors¹ to determine when someone wants a drink, by looking for specific hand gestures, or by assessing their 'pre-determined cognitive² state.'

这种无人机将使用传感器来探测某人是否想喝咖啡，判断依据为特定手势或“预判认知状态”。

It would then fly over to the person, with the drink attached to the device via a drink holder³, such as a plastic bag, and deliver the coffee.

随后，无人机会飞至需求者上空，通过连接在设备上的饮料架（如塑料袋）将咖啡送上。

In one example, coffee is shown as being dispensed⁴ directly from the drone and into a person's mug.

在一项示例中，无人机能够直接将咖啡倒入某人的马克杯中。

The patent describes how the drone would determine a person's 'cognitive state' to assess if they need a cup of joe.

这项专利还描述了无人机如何根据一个人的“认知状态”来评估他们是否需要一杯咖啡。

'The assessment⁵ and estimate is based on any of: sleep quality, electronic calendar, biometrics, blood pressure, pupil dilation⁶, facial expression analysis, the time an individual woke up in the morning, and gesture analysis,' the document states.

文件显示：“评估与预测基于以下任一特征：睡眠质量、电子日历、生物测定、血压、瞳孔放大、面部表情分析、起床时间以及手势分析。”

These factors would be detected via some kind of Fitbit-style wearable, or by analyzing⁷ a person's calendar.

这些特征可以通过一些可穿戴设备或个人电子日历进行检测。

Drones may also be connected to a server, which would dictate⁸ where the device should go next.

无人机同时会连接到服务器，以便获知下一个目的地。

It would even factor in users' habits around coffee consumption to predict when and where it would need to deliver a cup next.

此外，该系统甚至还能够以用户的咖啡消费习惯为依据，来预测用户在何时何处会需要下一杯咖啡。

'Coffee consumption often has a habitual⁹ or ritualistic aspect to it, with many individuals having coffee to start their day, punctuate¹⁰ a mid-morning break or as an after dinner activity,' the patent explains.

该专利解释道：“咖啡消费往往具有习惯性或仪式感，许多人都会以一杯咖啡开始崭新的一天，此后还会在上午休息或餐后活动时饮用。”

'Over time, a system of the disclosure can learn times and places at which an individual tends to prefer to consume coffee and can use that history to adjust its [corresponding confidence level] for a particular person or place.'

“随着时间的推移，这套系统还会了解某人倾向于在何时何处消费咖啡，并根据历史记录调整系统对某人或某地的‘响应信心指数’。”

Of course, the drone can also accommodate users' 'preference profiles,' or in other words, it can deliver coffees with milk or filter coffees.

当然，这种无人机也可以满足用户的偏好设置，换句话说，它也可以提供牛奶咖啡或过滤咖啡。

Interestingly, the patent also describes using the drone's biometric sensors for other purposes.

有趣的是，这项专利还描述了无人机所带生物识别传感器的其他用途。

If someone is too drunk, the drone would be able to cut them off from ordering another drink, by picking up on unpredictable movements and slurred¹¹ speech.

如果一个人喝得烂醉，通过动作异常或语言含糊等特征进行识别后，无人机就会取消再来一杯的订单。

The patent comes as IBM has been exploring other drone technologies, such as a fleet of drones that can pass packages mid-air.

值得一提的是，IBM公司以前也一直在探索其他无人机技术，例如可以在空中传送包裹的无人机群。