A report revealing Apple's self-driving car development is released

by Automobile Italia

Regarding Apple's self-driving car development project ' Project Titan ', the progress of the project is surely seen, even though there are rumors such as ' produced by 2024 ' and ' released in 2025 '. Meanwhile, the IT news site The Information released a report that revealed inside information in the form of interviews with 20 people involved in the project about 'Apple's eight-year struggle to make self-driving cars'. I am.

Inside Apple's Eight-Year Struggle to Build a Self-Driving Car — The Information
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/inside-apples-eight-year-struggle-to-build-a-self-driving-car

Apple Car project troubled by management demos and uncertain schedule | AppleInsider
https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/07/11/apple-car-project-troubled-by-management-demos-and-uncertain-schedule

Apple Car project reportedly still running into roadblocks — and nearly a jogger --The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/11/23203669/apple-car-project-titan-self-driving-vehicle-jogger

Looking back on Apple's self-driving car development project, The Information reports that 'Apple has been repeatedly frustrated during the development process.' For about eight years from 2015 to the first half of 2022, when Project Titan was first reported, self-driving car development must constantly prove valuable to Apple, often struggling to get it on a positive track. There was.

Summary of rumor of 'automatic driving car' in-house development plan 'Titan' by Apple --GIGAZINE

As an example of Apple's struggle to develop self-driving cars, The Information reveals in August 2021 that Apple drove a self-driving car under development for 40 miles in northwestern Montana. I am. The test run was shot via a drone and submitted to management, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, and reported to be on track, but self-driving without the need for high-resolution 3D maps. On the other hand, he was suffering from problems such as not being able to keep the lane reliably and being unable to avoid a collision with a curb.

Similarly, in a test run in early 2022, when a jogging person crossed the street, the self-driving car changed course slightly without pausing, and the auxiliary driver braked. It was necessary to step on it. Apple concludes that 'without human intervention, the car would most likely have run a jogger.'

In 2016, it was reported that Apple executives were dissatisfied with the progress of the project and frozen the recruitment of the project team, and in March 2022, analyst Minchi Kuo said, 'Project on self-driving car. As the team disbanded, it will be difficult to realize the rumor that the self-driving car will be on sale in 2025 unless the new team is announced in the near future. ' It was done. In an interview with The Information, it was pointed out that while the dissolution of the team was a rumor, the turnover of employees was rapid.

The Apple Car project team has been dissolved for some time. The reorganization within the next three to six months is necessary to achieve the goal of mass production by 2025.

— Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) March 15, 2022

When it comes to self-driving car projects, Cook tends to stay away from product design, which is said to be skeptical of the project's views from other senior executives. Craig Federighi, Apple's software chief and key executive, is also particularly skeptical, The Information points out.

The Information also details the history of the project, as well as the appearance of Apple's self-driving car, the Apple Car. In the latest design, the four seats in the car are arranged face-to-face, and the passengers are planned to have face-to-face conversations. In addition, it is said that discussions were held on the trunk, which normally sinks to the bottom and rises to make it easier to use when used without disturbing the space, and the screen that moves up and down on the back of the seat. Johnny Ive, who started a design company independent of Apple, is involved in Apple's self-driving car project as a consultant, 'We should not try to hide the sensor because we emphasize the eccentricity of vehicle design. The report states that he advised.