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Google is talking to auto makers about how to bring its self-driving-car technology to market, executives said Tuesday. Project director Chris Urmson said, "a self-driving car is probably still six years away". But, he added, "We are thinking now about how to bring this car to market."
There is a lot of "debate internally about how automobiles can use this technology," said Sebastian Thrun, the original leader of Google's autonomous car project. "There will be a time when a significant number of cars will carry Google technology."
Google's co-founder Sergey Brin—Urmson's boss—said roughly a year and a half ago that Google's self-driving car was about five years away. Urmson said on Tuesday that, "he is working on a six-year timeline", based on when his 10-year-old son turns 16 and will be able to drive in California. Bryant Walker Smith, a fellow at Stanford University's Center for Automotive Research, said "it can take up to six years to design and build a new car". Smith said any self-driving car ready in six years would likely be "limited in terms of capability, availability, or geography."
Google's car looks like a regular vehicle but it uses multiple sensors and map data in real time to understand where it is and maneuver through streets and highways without human intervention. The project started in 2009 and became an early part of Google X, the company's research lab for risky, long-term initiatives. Some on Wall Street are concerned about Google's increased focus on these projects; however, they also give the company a chance to expand into huge new markets, such as autos.
Urmson said, "Google's autonomous cars are expensive", but he declined to be specific. That's partly due to the laser sensor perched on top of the vehicles, which is made by Silicon Valley-based Company Velodyne. About 150 of these laser devices are produced a year, which increases the price of the component, Urmson explained.
Besides, Arturo Corral, one of Google's test drivers, said, "weather is a serious challenge". In heavy rain, the system asks drivers to take back control of the car, Corral said. Google has not tested the vehicles in snow yet. "We still have a long way to go," he added.
There is a lot of "debate internally about how automobiles can use this technology," said Sebastian Thrun, the original leader of Google's autonomous car project. "There will be a time when a significant number of cars will carry Google technology."
Google's co-founder Sergey Brin—Urmson's boss—said roughly a year and a half ago that Google's self-driving car was about five years away. Urmson said on Tuesday that, "he is working on a six-year timeline", based on when his 10-year-old son turns 16 and will be able to drive in California. Bryant Walker Smith, a fellow at Stanford University's Center for Automotive Research, said "it can take up to six years to design and build a new car". Smith said any self-driving car ready in six years would likely be "limited in terms of capability, availability, or geography."
Google's car looks like a regular vehicle but it uses multiple sensors and map data in real time to understand where it is and maneuver through streets and highways without human intervention. The project started in 2009 and became an early part of Google X, the company's research lab for risky, long-term initiatives. Some on Wall Street are concerned about Google's increased focus on these projects; however, they also give the company a chance to expand into huge new markets, such as autos.
Urmson said, "Google's autonomous cars are expensive", but he declined to be specific. That's partly due to the laser sensor perched on top of the vehicles, which is made by Silicon Valley-based Company Velodyne. About 150 of these laser devices are produced a year, which increases the price of the component, Urmson explained.
Besides, Arturo Corral, one of Google's test drivers, said, "weather is a serious challenge". In heavy rain, the system asks drivers to take back control of the car, Corral said. Google has not tested the vehicles in snow yet. "We still have a long way to go," he added.
单选题
6.Google's co-founder estimated that it may take____to bring Google's car into reality.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】细节题。根据co-founder一词可定位到文章第三段。根据第三段的第一句话“谷歌联合创始人、厄姆森的老板谢尔盖-布林大约一年半以前曾表示，谷歌的无人驾驶汽车问世大约需要五年的时间”可知，A项“五年”是正确答案。
单选题
7.In Paragraph 3, "availability" means_____.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】含义题。根据题干关键词定位到第三段。根据最后一句“史密斯说，任何在六年之内研发出来的无人驾驶汽车，从‘性能、______和驾驶地域等方面来说都可能有局限性’”可知，B项“实用性”符合语境，因而正确答案是B项。
单选题
8.Which of the following statements is true?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】细节题。此题适合使用排除法。C项“在自动导航技术的相关问题上有不少争议”对应文中的There is a lot of “debate internally about how automobiles can use this technology”，所以C项为正确答案。
单选题
9.According to Paragraph 4, Google's car needs_____.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】细节题。根据文章第四段首句“谷歌的无人驾驶汽车看上去与普通汽车并无两样，但它使用了多个传感器和实时地图数据，用来快速定位，从而在无需人为干预的情况下在街道和高速公路上自动行驶”，可判断C项“实时地图”对应文中信息map data in real time，所以C项为正确答案。
单选题
10.According to the last paragraph, what's a real challenge in this project?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】推断题。根据文章最后一段首句“此外，一位名叫阿图罗-科拉尔的谷歌测试车手说，天气因素仍然是一大挑战”，可判断出谷歌汽车面临的挑战与天气有关，D项“在恶劣环境中稳定运行”是对应原文信息的正确答案。