7 . Self-driving vehicles will rely on cameras，sensors and artificial intelligence (Al) to recognize and respond to road and traffic conditions.But sensing is the most effective for objects and movement in the neighborhood of the vehicle.Not everything important in a car’s environment will be caught by the vehicle’s camera.Another vehicle approaching at high speed on a collision(碰撞)track might not be visible until it’s too late.This is why vehicle-to-vehicle communication is undergoing rapid development.Our researches show that cars will need to be able to chat and operate on the road，although the technical challenges are considerable.

Applications for vehicle-to-vehicle communication range from vehicles driving together in a row，to safety messages about nearby emergency vehicles.Vehicles could alert each other to avoid collisions or share notices about passers-by and bicycles.

From as far as several hundred meters away.vehicles could exchange messages with one another or receive information from roadside units (RSUs) about nearby incidents or dangerous road conditions through 4 G network.A high level of Al seems required for such vehicles，not only to self-drive from A to B，but also to react intelligently to messages received.Vehicles will need to plan，reason，strategize and adapt in the light of information received in real time and to carry out cooperative behaviors.For example，a group of autonomous vehicles might avoid a route together because of potential risks，or a vehicle could decide to drop someone of earlier due to messages received，a foreseen crowding ahead.

Further applications of vehicle-to-vehicle communication are still being researched，including how to perform cooperative behavior.

8 . One day, when I was going to check in at an airport, I noticed there was a big problem. The counter person was telling everyone that all the planes were having problems and they would not be able to fly! And it was suggested that a bus would be provided to take us to Seattle. Everyone was worried, as we only had an hour and a half to make the connecting flight, and the bus was not even at the airport yet.

Finally, the bus pulled up, and the driver said, “They just pulled me out of bed after an all-night shift, and they expect me to get you to Seattle in time to catch your fight. Good luck!”

Needless to say, everyone was in a really bad mood. I was loading my baggage into the bus and had hung my banjo (班卓琴) over my back when the bus driver said, “What? Are you going to play that on my bus?” “Well, I really did not plan on it,” I replied.“I was only kidding,”said the driver. But I started thinking about it, and I pulled out the banjo. A worried, angry woman said, “Well, what if I don’t like it?” “Then tell me and I’ll stop,” I replied.

We drove off, and the tension made the atmosphere inside the bus horrendous! Then I started performing the old standard Blue Skies. In a few minutes, I noticed everyone was singing along. I started to sing, too, and before long, the whole bus burst into song.

One song led to another. Everyone laughed and sang, with food passed around the bus, and before long, the airport was in sight.

The bus driver called, “We made it! We never would have done it without the help of our banjo player.” Shouts of approval rang through the bus. People exchanged addresses and invitations to visit, and a few even exchanged hugs.

A few weeks later, my mailbox was filled with letters from my new friends. Their letters reminded me of how, by reaching out with just a song or a bit of friendship, you can turn a very tense situation into a peaceful experience.