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Document # 5
TECHNOLOGY - THE FUTURE ON FOUR WHEELS
Lost in traffic? Let a "smart car" show the way.
By Richard Ernsberger
I flew to Orlando, Florida, last week, rented a car and cruised the place for
two days trying desperately to get lost. I failed. Though I'd never been in
Orlando, I drove around town with the sang-froid of a longtime resident. I went
to shopping centers, restaurants and, of course, theme parks - never once asking
for directions. While other tourists slowed their rental cars to wrestle with
maps, I smiled smugly and stomped on the gas pedal. I had no idea how to get
from one place to another, but my "smart car"did. It contained an advanced
navigation system that showed me- even told me - where I was and how to reach my
destination. "In two and nine-tenths miles, bear right on Bee Line Expressway,
instructed a digitized voice". When the time came to hurry back to the airport,
I didn't fret about getting lost; I knew my trusty on-board computer would point
the way. Orlando's smart car / smart-highway system, called TravTek, is a
one-year, $12 million traffic-management project. Under the aegis of the
American Automobile Association, 100 Oldsmobile Toronados equipped with
navigation are being tested. Combining sophisticated electronic, computer and
communications technologies, TravTek is one of many worldwide research efforts
aimed at easing traffic problems. The US General Accounting office estimates
that automobile congestion costs US businesses $100 billion yearly in lost
production. Vivid maps: TravTek cars are the future on four wheels. Each has a
five-inch-diagonal, color touch-screen on the dashboard, which vividly displays
maps and driving instructions. The auto's computer database contains Orlando's
entire road network (1,200 square miles) and select data on 7,000 area
businesses. Sensors in the wheels detect the car's direction and calculate the
driving distance from any point. The sensors combine with a magnetic compass and
satellite-signal receivers to pinpoint the car's location at all times. The
computer also receives up-to-the-minute data on traffic conditions from
Orlando's Traffic Management Center. To operate a TravTek, a driver first uses
the touch-screen to register his destination. That's done by flipping through
various menus in the data bank - hotels are listed under "where to stay," for
example - or by typing out the place name or street. To drive from the airport
to my hotel, I punched in the letters MARR on the screen and called up a list of
Marriot hotels. I found mine and touched a button beside it; immediately, the
hotel's address and phone number were displayed. I pushed a "call" button
underneath that data, and the car's "hand-free" cellular phone immediately rang
my hotel. I confirmed my reservation. I next pushed a "make destination" button
- telling the computer to program a route from the airport to the hotel. I put
the car in "drive" and set off. "Start by driving west on Airport Drive,"
commended the voice - alien but comfortably authoritative. I obeyed. The screen
displayed a color map of the area, with my route outlined in purple. At the top
were the words: "Destination: 15.5 miles, 25 minutes." Each number decreased as
I got closer to my target. When the time to make a turn drew near, a simpler map
appeared on the screen, along with the name of the street onto which I would
turn. An arrowhead indicating the car's position traced a solid white arrow
showing me where to turn. Came the voice: "bear right on Interstate 4 east." I
did. "Next turn: six miles." l pushed a traffic-report button on the steering
wheel. "No traffic problems to report" said the voice. Six miles later, "Turn
left on Sand Lake Road, then prepare to turn right on International Drive." I
nodded, and later heard :"You are in be vicinity of your destination; route
guidance complete." The Marriott lay directly ahead. Wrong turn: The navigator
was not flawless. Once, it got my location wrong - but that was after I'd made a
series of quick turns and bumped into a curb. But, on the whole, it was
impressive. If you make a wrong turn, the voice tells you that you're off course
and suggests an alternate route. If there is heavy traffic or an accident,
yellow circles appear on the screen and a faster route will be suggested.
I Find synonyms in the text for (They follow the order of the text)
to fight ......................................................
accelerated ...................................................
turn ..........................................................
didn't worry ..................................................
facilitating ..................................................
to locate .....................................................
typed .........................................................
itinerary .....................................................
goal ..........................................................
not perfect ....................................................
II Complete the following chart Write in full letters
100 .............................................................
1,200 ...........................................................
15.5 ............................................................
Complete: a five-inch-...... = ...................................
$100 billion = ..................................................
15.5 miles = ....................................................
III What is a "smart car" ?
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IV Complete the following diagram with the help of the text
(Click on the right mouse-button and choose 'save' in the menu.)
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