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A fourth color might be added to traffic lights to better realize the potential of self-driving vehicles, as stated in a recent paper by researchers at North Carolina State University in the US.

美国北卡罗来纳州立大学的研究人员在近期的一篇论文中提出，为了充分发挥自动驾驶车辆的潜力，交通信号灯可能会增加第四种颜色。

Autonomous vehicles can do more than just drive – they are able to sense their surroundings and upload information. A shared network gives orders to stop at a crossing based on traffic conditions.

自动驾驶车辆不仅能行驶，还能感知周围环境并上传信息。互联互通的网络会根据交通状况，在十字路口给出停车的指令。

The added white lights would be used to signal to human drivers that autonomous vehicles are managing the upcoming traffic flow intelligently. Drivers don’t have to check the traditional lights if the white one is on. “The white lights will tell human drivers to simply follow the car in front of them,” one of the study authors Ali Hajbabaie told the university’s website.

新增的白灯会向人类驾驶员发出信号，表明自动驾驶车辆正在智能应对即将到来的车流。如果白灯亮起，驾驶员就不必去确认传统的交通信号灯。据北卡罗来纳州立大学官网消息，该研究的作者之一Ali Hajbabaie表示，“白灯会告诉人类驾驶员，只要跟着前面的车走就行了。”

Simulated models showed that autonomous vehicles were able to improve traffic flow on their own. Introducing the white light also has a positive effect on reducing fuel consumption. The higher the percentage of autonomous vehicles at a crossing, the faster the traffic moves, reducing about 40 to 99 percent of the total delay time.

模拟模型表明，自动驾驶车辆能够自行改善交通状况，增设白灯对降低油耗也起积极作用。在十字路口处，自动驾驶车辆所占的比例越高，车辆移动速度就越快，可以减少约40%到99%的总拥堵时间。

What kind of infrastructure is needed as self-driving technology thrives? In an interview with China Surveying and Mapping magazine, Liu Jingnan at the Chinese Academy of Engineering shared his answers.

自动驾驶技术蓬勃发展，需要什么样的配套基础设施呢？中国工程院院士刘经南在接受《中国测绘》期刊采访时给出了答案。

To begin with, the vehicle’s network that collects data about the environment and shares the data with other vehicles needs to be intelligent. High-precision maps are needed for autonomous vehicles to plan routes in detail. They can provide both updated information on traditional maps and real-time changes, such as accidents.

首要的基础设施是智能的车联网，该网络可以收集环境信息并与其他车辆共享数据。自动驾驶车辆还需要高精地图来详细规划路线，这种地图既可以提供传统地图的最新信息，也可以提示诸如发生事故等路况的实时变化。

For example, when driving around a curve, the navigation system in the vehicle needs to calculate the safe speed based on the map’s information. And if the area is foggy, the network has to alarm the other cars to slow down.

例如，车辆行驶在一个弯道上时，导航系统需要根据高精地图提供的信息，计算安全车速。如果在通过这个弯道时恰好有雾，车联网必须提醒其他车辆减速。

Other elements on the road need to be upgraded too. For example, road markings should be precise and readable for machines. Sensors should be built on sidewalks and roads to allow vehicles to predict potentially dangerous situations.

道路上的其他设施也需要升级。例如，交通标识应该保持精确，可供机器识别。人行道和马路上还应该安装传感器，让车辆能够预测潜在的危险情况。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报》高三805期