英语时差：智能轮子
D: What do you mean, Ya?l?
Y: I turn the key, the engine ignites. I turn the steering wheel, the wheels move. And that's it.
D: Well, what do you expect? That's how a car works.
Y: I know, but cars are so rigidly mechanical, you know? It's like when we removed the horses to make horseless carriages, they took away the only intelligent part of the carriage.
D: So you want to go back to the horse and buggy days?
Y: No. But it would be cool if cars were more intelligent.
D: You mean like being able to sense things and react to them, like a horse might?
Y: Right. Actually, there are designers and engineers at MIT working on a new kind of three-wheeled car---a new kind of wheel actually. It's a sort of "smart" wheel that contains most of the mechanical parts of the car---drive train, suspension, and braking. And the wheels have artificial intelligence---they can sense obstructions and potholes in the road. And since these smart wheels can communicate with each other, they could allow cars in cities to move in flocks, like birds or sheep. Also, the wheels can turn 360 degrees, so the car can move in any direction.
D: That sounds kinda futuristic. Do these cars actually exist?
Y: Sort of. There are computer models and a few prototypes, but it's not like you can buy one at a car dealership.
D: Well, let me know when you can.
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