Dubai plans to use Chinese-made drones as self-flying air taxis

湖北宜昌天问学校 王 晶

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迪拜官员表示，他们计划使用中国制造的无人机，以推出自动飞行的空中出租车业务。中国制造的亿航184无人机，拥有四组旋翼，可携带一名最高达100公斤的乘客以及一小件行李。

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Dubai officials said they plan to use Chinesemade drones(遥控飞机)to launch a self-flying air taxi in the near future.The Chinese-made EHang 184 drone has four propeller(螺旋桨)wings.It is designed to transport one passenger—weighing up to 100 kilograms—and a small piece of luggage.

The head of Dubai’s Roads and Transportation Authority said the autonomous taxi has already been tested in the city-state.He said regular service is expected to begin by July.The egg-shaped aircraft can reach a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.It can operate for up to 30 minutes on a single battery charge,with a flying range of 50 kilometers.

A video demonstration (示范)of the air taxi showed the whole trip being automated.Drones can be requested through an app to arrive at anapprovedpickup location.The passenger then climbs in and enters the desired destination into a device built into the seat.The auto-piloted aircraft then powers up,takes offand heads to the drop-off location.

Officials from EHang said all movements and functions of the drone will bemonitoredby people in a “Command and Control Center” on the ground.The person inside the aircraft will also be able to communicate with the command center if needed.

迪拜官员称他们计划引进中国制造的无人机，在不远的将来推出自动飞行的空中出租车。中国制造的亿航184无人机有四组旋翼。该无人机可以搭载一名体重最高达100公斤的乘客，以及一小件行李。

迪拜道路及交通管理局局长表示，自动飞行的出租车已在这个城市进行了测试。他说，这个常规服务于7月正式实施。这个蛋壳状的飞行器最高速度可达每小时160公里。单块电池充好电可支撑飞行30分钟，飞行50公里。

空中出租车的演示视频显示整个飞行过程都是自动操作的。无人机可以通过手机应用软件受理请求，可抵达系统批准的地点。乘客爬上无人机，在座位上已安装的设备中输入想抵达的地点。之后自动驾驶的飞行器会启动，前往降落的位置。

亿航公司表示无人机所有的操作和功能都被地面“指挥和控制中心”的人监控。飞行器内的乘客如有需要，也可和控制中心的人沟通。

EHang said it has done major testing on its 184 vehicle in China over the past few years.It has also developed and sold several drone models controlled by remote devices to consumers.

The company has said the drones could have other uses apart from carrying passengers in the air in busy cities.They could also help in emergency rescue operations or deliver human organs.

Dubai is the commercial capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf.Officials there have long been pushing to adopt high-tech transportation alternatives.The ruler of the city-state has said that by 2030,at least 25 percent of all passenger trips are to be completed with driverless vehicles.

亿航表示过去几年他们已经在中国完成了对184无人机的主要测试。该公司还开发和销售了几款由远程设备控制的无人机模型给消费者。

亿航公司还表示，无人机除了可以在繁华城市上空搭载乘客外，也可有其他用途。无人机还可协助紧急营救或运输人体器官。

迪拜是波斯湾蕴藏丰富石油资源的阿联酋的商业中心。当地官员一直以来推行采用高科技交通方式。迪拜的统治者曾说，到2030年，至少百分之二十五的出行都由无人驾驶车辆达成。

Reading check

1.What is the Chinese-made EHang 184 drone designed to do?

A.To carry a passenger with little luggage.

B.To carry large amounts of luggage.

C.To do scientific research in the city.

D.To take the place of city taxis.

2.How far can the aircraft fly at most on a single battery and back?

A.80 kilometers. B.50 kilometers.

C.40 kilometers. D.20 kilometers.

3.In orderto take the aircraft,the passenger________.

A.must go where the aircraft is located

B.can wait at the approved pickup location

C.must make a call to the aircraft company

D.has to watch a video demonstration first

4.What does the underlined word “monitor”most probably mean?

A.take over. B.watch over.

C.hand over. D.get over.

5.What can we infer about the drones from the passage?

A.The drones have been now under massproduced.

B.The drones have been popular in the past few years.

C.The drones can be helpful in medical field.

D.The drones can be dangerous to take.

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