Driverless shuttle bus carries passengers in Kenting

Driverless shuttle bus carries passengers in Kenting

2023-02-22

Pingtung launched its first driverless shuttle bus on Wednesday at Kenting National Forest Recreation Area. The mini bus offers six daily services, transporting six people on each trip.

The bus was made by a Taiwanese manufacturer and has a range of 60 kilometers. It is the first in Taiwan to be put to use in winding mountain roads, which pose a big technical challenge. Passengers can try the bus out for free during its two-week trial period.

屏東首輛「無人自動駕駛巴士」墾丁國家森林遊樂區上路

2023-02-22

無人駕駛車時代來臨，屏東縣政府也推出第一輛無人自駕巴士，從週三開始在墾丁國家森林遊樂區內負責接駁旅客，一天六班，一次只能搭載六個人。

這台自動駕駛巴士，是由國內廠商自行打造，續航里程可達60公里，是全台首次使用無人自駕巴士在山坡地地形的國家森林遊樂園區內作接駁運行，技術難度更高。試營運的頭兩週，開放免費民眾體驗。

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Island-hopping cruises to link Taiwan to South Korea and the Philippines

A new cruise project aims to link Taiwan up with its island neighbors, including the Philippines and South Korea. The project will provide international island-hopping ferry services, between Taiwan’s outlying islands and nearby friends. The Maritime and Port Bureau is working with Filipino and Korean counterparts to develop the plan. Deputy Minister of Transportation, Chi Wen-jong, hopes it will rejuvenate Taiwanese tourism in the booming post-pandemic period.

A family trip on a ferry. They can gaze out on a wide blue sea from their cabins. For travelers who aren’t satisfied with ferries between Taiwan’s islands, the new island-hopper ferries will shuttle travelers between different countries in Asia. It’s a collaboration between the Maritime and Port Bureau, South Korea and the Philippines.

Chi Wen-jong
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications
The island-hopper can take you to many different islands to enjoy different cultures. And for this project in particular we think it will be a transnational itinerary over island chains.

Lin Fu-shun
Korea International Cruise Institute
The island chains of Asia will be anchor points, so international cruise passengers can experience the classic, unique cultures of island chains from diverse Asian countries.

A passenger gets off the ferry on a bike to enjoy the island culture. Returning to the ship, there’s haute cuisine and entertainment from onboard performances. Located in the center of the First Island Chain, Taiwan is perfectly placed for international cruises between Asia’s Pacific islands. The Maritime and Port Bureau even plans to link East Asia with ferries between the Kinmen Marathon and Penghu Fireworks Festival. In 2023, there are 96 cruises scheduled to anchor in Taiwan, 36 of which have a home-port in Taiwan.

Chi Wen-jong
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications
The cruise will be a way to form an alliance, and to provide services in concert. Island-hopping cruises give you the chance to experience different countries, and the differences in their natural ecologies, cultures and folk customs. I think that’s a big selling point.

Post-COVID, the global travel market is in renaissance. The transport ministry hopes this cruise project will be a way to synergize with Taiwan’s neighbors - a tourist resource that will draw in visitors from near and far.

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Private company teaches Taiwanese citizens how to pick up a gun

With the threat of military aggression from Beijing growing, more and more Taiwanese citizens want to learn how to pick up a gun. Private companies are stepping into the market to provide military education. One company is getting inspiration from all round the world, using U.S., Chinese and Taiwanese equipment to educate students. They’ve even hired a U.S. Army officer. And they’re getting support from Taiwanese soldiers who’ve returned from volunteering for the Ukrainian army.

Helmet and bullet-proof vest on, a student steps forward on command.

They step into a narrow space, open fire on a target, and destroy the enemy fighters in less than 10 seconds.

“Shooting in a confined space” is a popular class, as is the “Board with Nine Holes” training, where students learn to hit a target precisely under many different conditions.

Hsiung Chi-sheng
Defense Education promotion industry
We’re teaching Military History Education, so that more citizens can understand the country as well as the equipment we use.

A private company offers these classes in the hope of spreading military knowledge among Taiwan’s population. They use imitation weapons which are almost exactly the same weight as real guns, and all kinds of equipment, in their combat training classes. They also display samples of weaponry from the Taiwanese, Chinese and U.S. armies, so students can learn to distinguish Taiwan’s army from potential invaders. Finally, they teach military history, and employ this retired U.S. Army officer as a teacher.

Richard Limon
Retired US Army officer
What you can learn from U.S. troops is combat training and medical training. In that respect, in my own opinion, I think it’s more useful, because that also gives more time to train the troops and get them ready for a potential fight.

Lee Cheng-ling
Volunteer soldier in Ukraine War
Taiwan needs to join up with the training system of NATO, because this is very important. The battles of the future will certainly be fought by alliances. There may be armies from other countries that might be fighting in Taiwan. You have to form an alliance. So in the same way you need to connect up with foreign armies in your training.

Lu Tzu-hao
Volunteer soldier in Ukraine War
The army needs to train everyone more in how to handle an individual weapon. Because in Ukraine, at the start, we were all using individual weapons. We were all trained in Stingers and missiles. It’s just we don’t know if the national weapons reserve is big enough. You can also train with virtual reality. We all had training of that kind.

These two Taiwanese soldiers volunteered to fight in the Ukraine War. Now they’re contributing to the school too, in the hopes of building up Taiwan’s preparedness to tackle an invasion.

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Teachers and universities push back against ChatGPT

Education is reeling from the advent of ChatGPT, a chatbot which can write documents in academic styles. The bot uses AI to produce texts on any topic, in any style. Although many of its documents are nowhere near the standard of real academic texts, it can sound lifelike enough to mimic a student. Taiwanese high school students are starting to use the bot to write coursework for college applications. That’s left teachers and universities scrambling to crack down on a new avenue for cheating.

Type in some key words, and ChatGPT gets to work writing an essay at once. Some Taiwanese high school students are starting to use ChatGPT to write their coursework. It sometimes does a better job than they can.

Ms. Lin
High school student
I think we should complete our own coursework, because our exams have a second level, an oral examination. The professors will ask you how you produced the report.

Ms. Lee
High school student
When I’m writing it, I start by writing a rough draft, as a reference. In the “Personal Process and Reflections” section you have to include your own ideas, so I always rewrite it again in the end.

The high school coursework portfolio is a major component in the new curriculum. It’s required by the Ministry of Education for every university application, and counts for 20% or more of the student’s grades. There’ve been numerous controversial reports of students paying tutors to write coursework for them. But since the advent of ChatGPT, essays, computer code, novels and even data analysis can all be outsourced to AI. Many high school teachers worry it will distort students’ university applications.

Lee Chi-lung
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ChatGPT is something like a sample manufacturer; but it leaves out lots of details. We want young people to get to grips with the applications of technology, not to make inappropriate use of it, but to establish the correct attitude toward its use. That’s the goal we tend to have in educational settings.

Universities are taking action. Hong Kong Univeristy has banned the use of ChatGPT or any other AI tool, in exams or in homework. National Taiwan University says that next term it will produce guidelines on the use of ChatGPT for students and staff. National Tsing Hua University has a special working group looking into AI’s impact on teaching and learning.

Lee Chi-lung
NTNU Affiliated Senior High
Even if you ban it, it is impossible to completely prevent situations like that. Instead, we must use educational and evaluative tools to monitor students on more levels, and help them to grow.

Here’s a new essay title. “The functional and dysfunctional uses of AI in education.” You have one hour, you may begin.

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Turkish ice cream seller entertains patrons with ice cream and pranks

Today, we take you to meet Kemal Demir, an ice cream seller from Turkey. Demir has been delighting his customers in Tamsui for 23 years with dollops of Turkish ice cream. The experience is not only just tasty but also a good laugh as he also plays pranks on his customers. The tricks are actually a Turkish tradition, which delight tourists and Taiwanese alike. FTV reporter Stephany Yang was one of his recent victims. Let’s see what happened.

He scoops up a generous portion of ice cream, puts it in the cone, and then hands me an ice cream cone before quickly pulling the cone away.

This stall is a favorite among many visitors when they visit New Taipei’s Tamsui, because this is not an ordinary ice cream shop. This seller will surprise his customers with all kinds of tricks. Not only does it test the customer’s reflexes, but also their patience.

Member of the public
I think it’s fun, because the owner controlled it so the ice cream doesn’t fall to the floor. He was fantastic.

Member of public
I’m very happy. I was worried about Turkey, so I came to talk with him. I really respect that he works hard.

This Turkish ice cream is called maras. The ice cream is made out of goat milk and the roots of wild orchids. The owner of this vendor is Kemal Demir. Originally from Turkey, he has been making Turkish ice cream for almost 50 years. He learnt the trade at just 10 years old and opened up his first ice cream shop when he was 16. In 2001, he opened up a stall in Tamsui. All the ingredients he uses are from Turkey. He wants to introduce Turkish culture to Taiwanese people.

Kemal Demir
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The city I am from is where the ice cream originated from. I came to Taiwan 23 years ago, and I am now 63 years old. Taiwanese people are nice, and everyone will say “hello” to you. It’s all handmade, and it takes around five hours to make ice cream like this.

Demir says his family and friends were greatly affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria. After he contacted his family in Turkey, he learned that his daughter, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were all safe, but more than 20 of his other relatives had passed away. He says he is planning to visit Turkey next month.

Kemal Demir
Store owner
I will go next month. Many of my relatives and friends have passed away. I’m quite upset. But, many people in Taiwan have come here to buy things, and I am very grateful for their help. They encouraged me and tell me to keep going, which makes me very happy. Thanks, Taiwan.

Having lived and worked in Taiwan for 23 years, Demir is still passionate about his craft. He says his son will move to Taiwan to help run the business in the future. The family hopes to continue to delight visitors with their creative tricks and teasing, and introduce Turkish culture to more people around the world.

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