Apple Car - Macmyth

As per rumors, Apple will launch the Apple car in the near future. But the company has not announced anything yet. An online source has written a report on an patent application of the company for an in-car infotainment system. News says that it might come with VR technology and no windows.

It resembles a black Magic Mouse of the company with wheels attached. The combination of headline and image created painted quite the dystopian picture of a lightless, windowless vehicle. In addition, you can see an image of the all-black vehicle on the web. While you see the vehicle on the internet, you can notice a small logo of the company on the bonnet, which reminds people about the company's wireless mouse.

What is the expected cost of the Apple Car?

You will get it available around $40,000 to $170,000.

Features of Apple Car:

The company brought a patent to light and drew a much dryer picture. This model comes with an AR/VR headset designed for self-driving vehicles. Its target is to offer different use cases for passengers who won't bother to pilot the vehicle. Besides, it is ideal for business users also. The VR headset can conduct video chats during travel times, which is lucrative for business owners. However, leisure passengers can use the headset system to watch movies or play games.

The company's patent comes with a VR entertainment system for a self-driving vehicle. In addition, it has details of a few other VR experiences you can enjoy. For instance, it lets you enjoy pop-ups on the headset, the current city or a virtual location, etc. Besides, it enables you to learn how to turn your ride into a new experience altogether.

Virtual vehicle chases or fleeing through an apocalyptic hellscape are some features you can get also. In this case, the acceleration and braking of the vehicle can be incorporated into the virtual experience. Besides, its 4DX touches like wind can be blown in your face.

According to the patent, you can use the VR headset to combat motion sickness. Driving in a windowless vehicle can trigger it, and in this case, it provides a virtual view of the outside world.

When Apple Car will be released?

The rumors say that the company will produce an electric vehicle around 2025 very soon. Besides, as per the rumor, the EV was a self-driving one. The most news you will get about the company's vehicle involves lining up talent, and it is from the automotive industry to work on the project.

The company filed a patent on May 3 for the entertainment system. According to an online source, it may replace the view of the real world in a vehicle with virtual environments.

The US Patent and Trademark Office granted the company's patent. It is for a headset helping to mitigate motion sickness for people who use self-driving vehicles. Thus, you can get an immersive experience from the VR system while it replaces the real-world view with virtual environments. In addition, Active vehicle systems and vehicle control systems have connections with the VR system. Thus, these help to offer physical effects with the virtual experiences.

Conclusion:

You can get the AR/VR headset even at the end of the year. It can appear early in 2023 because it has been shown off to the company's board. However, you can expect iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro to see in the future when the company launches.

However, an online source clarified that it is a concept design of the self-driven vehicle, not the company's design. But netizens have not stopped poking fun at this tech company. Many people compared it to the design of Tesla's Cybertruck. But many users thought that it was the company's magic mouse on wheels.

The company has hired a 31-year Ford veteran to boost the working process of their Apple Car. However, an online source reported that the company can launch the vehicle as soon as 2025.

Apple Car Autopilot Function With South Korean Partner

It is expected that Apple will create a "beta" version of the "Apple Car" soon by this year. Then, it will give an order to produce 100,000 models in 2024. The model's price is very high and available for $99,990, and it is about £72,000 or AU$130,000.

The vehicle is a self-driving electric machine. This company can partner with Hyundai, BMW, and other famous manufacturing companies. It is called "Project Titan" and is available with AI-specific features with Siri.

The vehicle is expected to be launched in 2024 to 2028. According to the rumors, Apple has been working on different automotive projects, leading to an "Apple Car."

Apple Car Design:

At the initial time, there was a rumor that "Project Titan" has been involved in an electric vehicle that will be available in the market by 2019 or 2020. As per a special source, the program has experienced a failure in leadership at the end of 2015. At one point, Apple was thinking of using the base of BMW's i3. Even both Apple and BMW did a meeting for a potential partnership.

Apple Car Features:

Self-Driving Systems:

It is the most prominent element of the whole scheme. This one is available under the "Project Titan" name because it is closer to the original car-design concept. In addition, the company has invented and tested a self-driving system, which has been seen on public roads.

Testbeds And Sensors:

According to the DMV records, the initial tests usually add additional equipment to a pre-existing vehicle. For example, you can find a Velodyne LiDAR 64-channel unit on the SUV's roof.

There are radar arrays and a custom frame-mounted onto the front and rear bumpers. In addition, it comes with cameras available in the protective housings surrounding the car's exterior. Thus, it allows the self-driving system to offer a 360-degree view of natural surroundings.

Patents and Applications: Like other products, the company can make many patent applications related to driving systems and in-development cars.

Safety and Systems Patents:

A patent application on autonomous vehicles surfaced in December 2016, giving details of a process of "Collision Avoidance of Arbitrary Polygonal Obstacles."

It can work in two-dimensional and three-dimensional space. Besides, without knowing about obstacles, the patent application can outline systems and processes to traverse an environment. It includes things that can affect movement through an area, such as convex and concave objects, moving and stationary obstacles, etc.

The company suggested in July 2018 that the self-driving system could modify its behavior relying on the car's occupants' stress level. It uses an internal sensor for the measurement of different data points. If it detects any stress, the system will shift to a slower speed mode or take corners at a slower rate.

A "confidence" system is a feature available in the car that helps decrease the necessary resources to process a mountain of data from onboard sensors. It was invented by patents in 2022, describing the mountain of machine learning. Although there are a lot of updated technologies available used to process a considerable amount of data, it still remains a challenge for computing in today's life. 

VR and AR Features:

The usage of VR and AR is a significant element also. For example, you can use a projection system on the windscreen, which will help you to display an AR view of the road. It includes elements out of the user's vision also. Apple has not discounted the use of headsets for AR or VR. However, the company suggests how users must follow to reduce car sickness while using the devices.

These Self-driving vehicles have to give information to other car users about the intention. According to Apple, the technology in this section may be updated. These cars display a sign on the back or sides, which helps other road users to notify them about the next move. It can be available in the form of a light strip on the vehicle's perimeter, and it can work as a big brake light or indicator.

Inter-car communications also offer situational awareness that includes an alert notifying the car's position via a self-driving car system. In addition, it will be equipped with Skid recovery systems that enable users to keep the vehicle under control even in dangerous situations.

Skid Detection System:

This company has its plans already to use this for taxi systems. Apple devices are also beneficial and play an important role in autonomous car features. These help to show alerts to the users who are in the vehicle. When the car is in self-driving mode, users cannot be familiar with the environment outside the car. So if anything unwanted happens outside the vehicle, it will give you alerts to pay attention to it.

According to Apple, along with being beneficial for driving, the feature also helps users take pictures. It can be beautiful scenery on a road while traveling, a car accident, etc. It comes with a remote operator like a driver trained to face emergency transit situations. As a result, this feature can guide the car to the hospital. A specialized airbag system keeps the passengers secured in dangerous conditions. It features LiDAR and other sensors too.

Patented Design: 

It comes with Powertrain systems. Its sunroof is set to slide a large glass panel. In addition, the car's multi-segmented sunroof comes with independent sliding and lifting sections.

The bottom line: 

According to a few sources, Apple has been working on the project in a research facility in Switzerland. As per the report of March 2017, there was a minimum of 10 doctoral and postdoctoral students who left ETH Zurich university for the lab. All were specialized in robotics, computer vision, and visual navigation, which are essential for an "Apple Car."

Apple's Self Driving Car Program Detailed in DMV Training Doc

Apple – Automated System – Self-Driving Vehicles

Apple had been granted permission recently by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to publicly test the autonomous driving technology on the Californian roads.

A new document of Apple has come up detailing the self-driving car training program for drivers. The new document offers more evidence that Apple is actively operating on autonomous driving technology internally. The official papers were obtained by Business Insider entitled `Development Platform Specific Training’, which tends to refer to the `Apple Automated System’, utilised in self-driving vehicles.

Apple had established an `Automated System’ for self-driving vehicles and intends putting select staffers through a training program in order to control the vehicles. As per the documents, the drivers of Apple need to pass seven various tests before their complete training. Every driver is given two practice runs together with three trials in order to pass each test which is said to be a private course.

The documents specify that the technology utilised by the drivers comprise of Logitech hardware as well as basic driving schemes such as tight U-turns with sudden braking or acceleration. Every test includes a goal together with steps to supersede the autonomous system while training with the scheme.

Focus on Self-Driving Software

Though Apple has the liberty to test anything internally and privately, it is the California permit that enables it to test three 2015 Lexus RX450h hybrid sport utility vehicles as per the DMV documentation that had been published recently, which is the same vehicle utilised in the self-driving tests of Google.

Though it had been presumed for some months that Apple had been constructing its own electric vehicle, the recent rumours have claimed that presently Apple has been focusing on self-driving car software instead which is shown by the latest public-facing development. A letter to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in December had shown that disclosed first hand work on self-driving technology of Apple. Self-driving car technology is said to be one of the most prominent arenas in Silicon Valley.

Earlier known as self-driving car unit of Google, Waymo is presently in a high-stakes combat with Uber over its autonomous car tech and analysts have estimated that the industry could be worth trillions of dollars. Apple had refrained from commenting on this issue.

Possibility of Self-Driving Car Platform

For the past three years the work of Apple had been something of an open clandestine and the company initially had intention of creating its own autonomous vehicles. However it turned to an autonomous driving software platform resulting in internal strife and leadership problems.

The company is now creating a driving system under the management of Bob Mansfield wherein the car team have been given till the end of this year in order to substantiate the possibility of self-driving car platform. Such a type of structure would probably permit Apple to partner with car manufacturers as a type of development of CarPlay.

 Apple being ready in testing the software on public roads shows that the development seems to be fairly far-off. If the company tends to take the vehicles out on the streets of California, its works would require to be publicly shared with the DMV established on the law of California.

iCar Release Date Rumours

Apple Developing Electric iCar – Project Titan

Reports reveal that Apple is developing an electric iCar to compete with Tesla. It has been reported that Apple is negotiating with BMW and rustling Samsung employees, particularly battery specialist and reassigning many of the staff for its Project Titan.

There have been several reports since February that Apple has been working on a car which would give Tesla a run for its money, after an Apple employee had been informed by Business Insider having knowledge on the subject. This was related to the sightings of cars arrayed with sensors/cameras, registered to Apple.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the iCar project has been dubbed `Titan’, which initially stated that there were many hundred, Apple employees operating on the project. This has been backed by new report, claiming that the iCar would be released in 2019, will not be fully autonomous but will be fully electric with a few smart features like it would be complete with emergency braking, cruise control which will handle the accelerator and breaks on motorways and in traffic together with automatic lane changing system which will be activated by a flick of the indicator stalk.

iPhone Experience to Vehicle Through CarPlay

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple while speaking at Wall Street Journal’s WSJDLive conference at The Montage resort in Laguna Beach, California stated that the automotive industry seems to be close to massive change.

However, he refrained from commenting on whether Apple would lead part of the change which Cook forecasts would be seeing users move away from internal combustion engines to electrification. At the conference, Cook mentioned that itseems like there would be massive change in that industry. One may not agree with that but that seemed to be his belief.

This was followed by his refusal to respond to reports of Apple’s development of an electric car to be on sale by 2019. Instead he informed that the company has been working to bring the iPhone experience to the vehicle through CarPlay, Apple’s in-dash system which tends to permit users in accessing their iTunes music collections together with driving directions with the requirements of operating phones. According to the Guardian, Project Titan seems to be on its way, with the newspaper reporting that Apple has already developed its self-driving car and is need of testing.

Apple Interested in Carbon Fibre Reinforced BMW i3 Electric Vehicle

In contrast to several car makers like Google and Tesla, which are testing their self-driving cars on public road, Apple is keen on keeping a low profile. This indicates that the company is in need of some secured doors behind which it could test its private project.

Several outlets have revealed that Apple and the German automaker BMW have been coordinating with one another with Reuters reporting that Apple important person together with Tim Cook have been visiting BMW production facility in Leipzig.

Apple, in particular had been interested in the carbon fibre reinforced BMW i3 electric vehicle which was reported as the most energy efficient car in the US and is believed that the i3 would form the basis of the rumoured iCar, It has been further claimed that negotiations had started in autumn of 2014 between Apple and BMW and are now approaching a final deal. But it is worth mentioning that BMW had been the first carmaker to incorporate iPod facilities in its vehicles and it is entirely possible that Apple is simply looking to secure an agreement with the German company to move its CarPay project ahead.

The Apple Car cometh

Apple’s Project Titan’

Apple has been the topic of many rumours that have been circulating for most of 2015 which has been ranging from advanced high tech interior systems to Apple Car. Now six months from the several rumours with regards to Apple upcoming `Project Titan’, it looks like it is surfacing though majority of these rumours tend to be unconfirmed.

 It is said that Apple’s Titan team has numbered around 600 individuals which is sizable by most standards and if the recent rumours are to be believed, is set to triple very soon. This would be putting a lot of stress on Silicon Valley automotive engineer employment pool.

 Those availing the facilities within a short drive from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters are Ford and many others.The manufacturing plant of Tesla Motors is around 30 minutes from the Highway 880 and has been the most exposed hiring source for Apple with the founder and CEO Elon Musk.

It is said that Apple would be offering $250,000 signing bonuses to entice employees, but it’s Mercedes-Benz that offers the highest profile new hire – Johann Jungwirth. Jungwirth had earlier been the boss at Mercedes Benz Research & Development in North America researching on how to make the car find out where one intends to go, without being told.

Apple – Out-dated Human Piloted Machines

Steve Zadesky of Apple, former Ford engineer who had joined Apple in1999 is the leader of the entire Titan strength and had a big role in the launch of the original iPod and till recently had supervised the iPhone design also. Earlier rumours and reports have fixed the Apple Car as being an autonomous thing but different from Google’s self-driving machines.

With reports regarding Apple meeting with California DMV related to securing autonomous registration for a vehicle, clearly indicates the autonomous competences for the vehicle. But the recent report show that Apple would be coming up with a more out-dated human piloted machines.

The same reports fixed 2019 as the probable date for a presumed Apple Car which will be four years from now and presuming that Apple has been working on it for about a year it would fall in-line with the usual five year vehicle cycle of production.

Volvo Partially Selling autonomous Cars - 2017

It is the cycle period which is usually perceived when a developer tends to release a new version of the prevailing vehicle. For instances the new version of Porsche 911 which had been unveiled recently in Frankfurt was in development for around five years and in the grand scheme of things, it was a comparatively trivial update with new engines, new suspension tunings in addition to Apple’s CarPlay.

But the things tend to change and the Ford CTs design cycle took around 14 months, from ideation to Detroit debut. It would then be another two years thereafter before the car would be made available in the market if Apple intends to unveil the car in 2019 which is said to be greatly optimistic for a fully autonomous machine to hit the streets of America. This would aim on the need of a driver for the Apple Car though not 100% of the time. Volvo would be partially selling autonomous cars by 2017.