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European aerospace company Airbus has fitted a special truck with airplane controls in an effort to test self-taxiing abilities.
欧洲航空航天公司空中客车公司为一辆特殊卡车安装了飞机控制系统，以测试其自动滑行能力。
Airbus officials recently introduced the truck in Paris at Europe’s largest technology event, VivaTech.
空客官员最近在巴黎举办的欧洲最大的科技活动VivaTech上推出了这款卡车。
The electric vehicle can drive like a truck, or it can activate the aircraft system controls. A demonstration showed how the truck works.
电动汽车可以像卡车一样行驶，或者它可以激活飞行器系统控制。会有一个展示来演示汽车的操作方式。
It uses numerous cameras and sensors to help follow airport direction signals and avoid obstacles as computers guide the vehicle along its path.
它使用大量摄像头和传感器，帮助跟踪机场方向信号，并在计算机引导下避开障碍物。
In a statement, Airbus described the effort as a three-year research project called Optimate.
在一份声明中，空中客车公司将这项工作描述为一个为期三年的研究项目，名为Optimate。
The goal is to deploy and test the best technologies to help aircraft better recognize their surroundings and current operating conditions.
该项目的目标是部署和测试最佳技术，以帮助飞机更好地识别其周围环境和当前运行状况。
In addition, the company said detailed data from the experiments will be examined to help develop pilot assistance systems for airport taxiing.
此外，该公司表示，将对实验的详细数据进行检查，以帮助开发机场滑行的试点辅助系统。
The technology demonstration came after several incidents of airplanes crashing on the ground at airports.
在这项技术演示之前，发生过几起飞机在机场地面坠毁的事件。
One of those happened in January, when a Japanese Airlines Airbus350 was landing and hit a coast guard plane already on the runway.
其中一次发生在1月，当时一架日本航空公司的空客350正在降落，并撞上了已经在跑道上的一架海岸警卫队飞机。
An investigation was launched last month after a British Airways jet struck a stationary Virgin Atlantic plane at London’s Heathrow Airport.
上个月，一架英国航空公司的喷气式飞机在伦敦希思罗机场撞上了一架静止的维珍大西洋航空公司的飞机，随后展开了调查。
That crash caused only minor damage to both aircraft.
那次碰撞只对两架飞机造成了轻微损坏。
And in February, U.S. investigators said they were looking into a crash involving two JetBlue planes at Logan International Airport in Boston.
2月，美国调查人员表示，他们正在调查一起涉及两架捷蓝航空飞机在波士顿洛根国际机场坠毁的事故。
Airbus officials have said they hope the specially designed truck can show how self-taxiing, or automation, technology can help safely guide costly jets through increasingly crowded airports.
空客公司的官员表示，他们希望这款专门设计的卡车能够展示自动驾驶或自动化技术如何帮助安全引导昂贵的喷气式飞机在日益拥挤的机场中穿梭。
The vehicle uses multiple technologies related to automation, navigation and artificial intelligence (AI).
该车辆使用了与自动化、导航和人工智能（AI）相关的多种技术。
Matthieu Gallas is the head of automation research at UpNext, a special technology research laboratory for Airbus.
马修·加拉斯是UpNext的自动化研究负责人，UpNext是空中客车公司的一个特殊技术研究实验室。
He told Reuters news agency, "These use cases are much more critical and complicated compared to those of the car industry."
他告诉路透社，“这些用例与汽车行业相比要关键和复杂得多。”
Slow-speed airport crash incidents rarely result in serious injuries or deaths.
低速机场撞机事件很少导致重伤或死亡。
But they represent a costly and growing problem for airlines, airports, insurers and passengers. Such incidents can cause major passenger delays. They also can lead to costly plane repairs. The chief executive of UpNext is Michael Augello.
但是，对于航空公司、机场、保险公司和乘客来说，这却是一个代价高昂且日益严重的问题。此类事故会造成严重的乘客延误。它们还可能导致昂贵的飞机维修费用。 UpNext 的首席执行官是 迈克尔-奥杰罗。
He said in a statement that a big aim of the Optimate project is to demonstrate a new system to support “safer and more efficient air travel.”
他在一份声明中表示，Optimate项目的一个重要目标是展示一个新系统，以支持“更安全、更高效的航空旅行”。
The UpNext team says the refitted truck is to be tested live at airports in preparation for testing A350-1000 aircraft in the future.
UpNext团队表示，这辆改装后的卡车将在机场进行现场测试，为未来测试A350-1000飞机做准备。
Company officials say if the airport tests are successful, the project could also result in airplane design changes.
公司官员表示，如果机场测试成功，该项目还可能导致飞机设计的改变。
But getting such systems approved can be a long and difficult process.
但是，要使这样的系统获得批准可能需要一个漫长而又曲折的过程。
Gallas said Airbus jets already use some automation technologies to limit pilot error.
加拉说，空客喷气式飞机已经使用了一些自动化技术来限制飞行员的失误。
But those systems are not considered fully autonomous.
但这些系统并不被认为是完全自主的。
In other words, they can only predict and behave in certain situations.
换句话说，它们只能在特定情况下预测和行动。
The testing truck is equipped with light-based LiDAR technology.
测试卡车配备了基于光的激光雷达技术。
LiDAR uses a series of sensors and light lasers that can measure distances and produce three-dimensional (3D) maps of the surrounding environment.
激光雷达使用一系列传感器和光激光，可以测量距离并生成周围环境的三维（3D）地图。
Airbus said the research vehicle is expected to explore progressively higher levels of automation as the experiments continue.
空中客车公司表示，随着实验的继续，预计研究车辆将逐步探索更高水平的自动化。
The company noted it has no immediate plans to introduce autonomous jetliners to the skies. Karim Mokaddem is a former automobile executive. He now leads research and technology for Airbus.
该公司指出，它没有立即将自主喷气式客机引入天空的计划。卡里姆·莫卡德姆是一位前汽车高管。他现在领导着空中客车公司的研究和技术。
He told Reuters he thinks LiDAR will be the most effective technology for the testing vehicle.
他告诉路透社，他认为激光雷达将是测试车辆最有效的技术。
The possible use of LiDAR to improve aircraft safety recently received attention after severe turbulence hit a Singapore Airlines jet.
在严重的气流颠簸袭击了一架新加坡航空公司的喷气式飞机后，激光雷达用于提高飞机安全性的可能性最近受到了关注。
That incident left one passenger dead and several others injured.
该事件造成一名乘客死亡，另有数人受伤。
Researchers have looked at LiDAR technology as a possible way to identify and track possibly dangerous air currents that may not be picked up by radar equipment.
研究人员已经将激光雷达技术视为用于识别和跟踪雷达设备可能无法检测到的可能危险的气流的可能办法。
Reuters reported that Boeing began testing such a system in 2018.
据路透社报道，波音公司在2018年开始测试这样的一个系统。
Technology experts are looking to possibly expand LiDAR as a tool to help predict turbulence.
科技专家们希望能够扩大激光雷达的应用范围，将其作为一种帮助预测乱流的工具。
I’m Bryan Lynn
我是布莱恩·林恩。
