Parking your car in a parking garage has a lot of advantages. You do not have to constantly move your car for alternate side parking, or snow removal, and you do not have to go in and out of your vehicle in unpleasant weather. Now, in Munich, Germany, there is an additional benefit--artificial intelligence can reward drivers for not using their cars.
A trial program, led by UK-based Fetch. ai and Datarella, a German company, at a downtown Munich office building, uses AI to communicate with drivers to tell them when the garage is filling up and a price increase will go into effect, or suggest that drivers find an alternative place to park. Actually, it can be used as a motivation for people to leave their cars and use environmentally-friendly methods of transportation. People who do not use their cars to commute to work will be rewarded with public transit passes.
The AI is based on a multi-agent technology where agents can perform specific tasks and by communication with each other, sort out complex situations. The drivers' apps will be programmed to know when the cars will be in use and the parking garage agent will tap into a camera system that will analyze the amount of spaces and then set the price accordingly. Then the drivers can decide whether and where to park through the apps.
The city council(议会)made some comments on the new project: it is still immature but it is likely to improve parking space management and organize traffic flow to prevent traffic jams. "Our system encourages community use of public transport or other sustainable transportation through a distribution system while reducing the congestion(拥堵)that accounts for a great deal of Munich's CO2 emissions(排放)," Michael Reuter, CEO of Datarella said.
Even a 10 percent reduction of car use will save 37, 000 tons of emission. That is the equivalent emissions of all yearly energy use for 4, 000 homes.
While the system is being trialed in only one garage, Fetch. ai plans to expand the trial to other parking garages around the city in 2021.
12. What does the trial program encourage drivers to do?
A.Avoid public transport. | B.Use green transportation. |
C.Pay more for the parking. | D.Park in traditional garages. |
13. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.How parking prices are increased. | B.How drivers benefit from parking. |
C.How normal parking garages operate. | D.How the AI parking system works. |
14. What is the city council's attitude towards the project?
A.Generally positive. | B.Extremely worried. |
C.Barely hopeful. | D.Totally admiring. |
15. What is the best title for the text?
A.You Will Be Rewarded for Not Parking. |
B.Parking Your Car in the Garage Matters. |
C.A Parking Garage Is Using AI for Parking. |
D.A Trial Parking System Is Expanding Fast. |