Pre-reading questions:
- Do you like to travel by water?
- Have you ever ridden a boat?
- What do you think about self-driving vehicles?
Self-driving boats called “Roboats” will head for the waterways in Amsterdam in 2017. This is a product of a $27 million partnership between the Massachusets Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), and will be a solution to public transport through water . Dr. Stephan van Djk, the research program manager at AMS, says that they will try to shift the transport of goods and people to the waterways to ‘get people out of their cars and reduce traffic in the city.’ If successful, it will soon be operating not only in the Dutch capital, but also around the world.
According to Professor Carlo Ratti, Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab, Roboats work with sensors that scan the environment and build a three-dimensional model. These sensors need to look not only at the surface but also what is happening under the water. The project is expected to last five years to ensure the development of the system.
Vocabulary:
waterways – route for travel by water
partnership – an arrangement in which two or more individuals share the profits and liabilities of a business
transport – a system or means of conveying people or goods from place to place by means of a vehicle, aircraft, or ship
shift – change
reduce – make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size
ensure – make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case
Comprehension Questions:
- What are the self-driving boats called?
- When will the boats be launched in Amsterdam?
- What institutions partnered to develop the new system?
- How many years is the project expected to last?
Express Your Opinion:
- How will the new technology help with the improvements with the transportation?
- Should traditional vehicles be replaced with self-driving ones?