Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): Self-driving cars in Hong Kong being tested in trial scheme
City is testing eight autonomous vehicles as part of an effort to advance driverless technology
A self-driving shuttle being tested in Hong Kong. Photo: Transport and Logistics Bureau[1] Hong Kong is testing eight autonomous vehicles under a HK$127 million (US$16.3 million) plan to advance driverless technologies and other projects. A minister has said that the scheme’s progress matches developments in mainland China and overseas.
[2] Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said last month he expected the public would have more opportunities to try driverless cars in the future, and the results were promising.
[3] “Among the eight autonomous vehicles currently being tested in Hong Kong, their driverless technology has reached level four of ‘highly automated driving’,” he said, referring to a performance level where a vehicle can handle most driving tasks independently.
[4] He said the government had invested HK$60 million into driverless cars and another HK$67 million into technologies related to the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) under the Smart Traffic Fund.
[5] IoV refers to a network of connected autonomous vehicles. They use a cloud system to share location data and information on other objects in their surroundings, such as roadside units, pedestrians and buildings.
[6] He said eight autonomous vehicles were being tested at five locations during the trial. Vehicles were put through different types of roads and scenarios, including in Hong Kong Science Park, the offices of the Productivity Council, imported labour dormitories in Tam Mi and private housing estates.
[7] The minister said similar projects were likely to undergo testing this year and next. This includes a trial run for an autonomous system operated by Hong Kong’s airport to transport commuters to and from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
[8] Ringo Lee Yiu-pui is the honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association. He said the government needed to create appropriate policies and regulations if it wanted more people to use self-driving vehicles. He added that sufficient infrastructure was also needed. “In particular, the government needs to install roadside units at buildings or facilities for driverless vehicles to detect people, objects and other obstacles,” he said.
[9] “These roadside units have to work together with smart traffic lights and smart lamp posts to allow the driverless vehicles to receive accurate signals for the enhancement of safety.” He said autonomous vehicles were not suitable for the city’s narrow roads. But they could work in places such as the airport, which could be equipped with the necessary smart infrastructure.
Source: South China Morning Post, August 10
Questions
1. In paragraph 1, how many vehicles are being tested under the trial?
___________________________________________________
2. Based on paragraph 3, what does it mean if a vehicle has reached level four of “highly automated driving”?
___________________________________________________
3. Find a word in paragraph 5 that means “people walking in the streets”.
______________________
4. Which of the following is not a test site according to paragraph 6?
A. Ocean Park
B. housing estates
C. dormitories located in Tam Mi
D. Hong Kong Science Park
5. Where will the autonomous system mentioned in paragraph 7 take people to and from?___________________________________________________
6. Based on paragraphs 8 and 9, who or what do the words in bold refer to? Write the correct answers. (3 marks)
(i) Ringo Lee Yiu-pui said that the city needs the right things in place to support these cars.
(ii) The government should also put special devices on buildings and places. They should work with smart traffic lights and street lamps to help driverless cars get correct information and stay safe.
(iii) Self-driving cars are not good for the city’s narrow roads, but they could work well in places like the airport where there is special equipment to help them.
Answers
1. eight
2. It can handle most driving tasks independently.
3. pedestrians
4. A
5. between Hong Kong’s airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge
6. (i) Hong Kong; (ii) the special devices; (iii) self-driving cars