I cannot predict the future but here are some thoughts. We already are seeing a phase of autonomous driving cars. This phase is augmented. Basically smart features that help us travel safer. There are already autonomous vehicles in public. Yes they have to have a person behind the wheel but the technology is capable of driving in a very safe fashion. I see this being used in public transportation of some sort first. In order to handle all types of driving conditions there is a lot of work left to do. The big question will be how fast will the government support this effort? Will they assist in moving this forward or be a major roadblock? I am not sure yet. The possibilities of traffic control and safety in general make this something we owe it to ourselves to make sure it succeeds. Does that mean everyone? Not initially. But I could see a future where future generation look back and say "my grandparents had to drive their own cars". Just wait. It will happen in most of our lifetimes.
In 2008, Andrew Stanton predicted the future of Earth, Machines and People. The film is called Wall-E and if we all press the fast forward button to 75 years hence, it'll be about 75% accurate! Self driving cars? Done deal! No privacy? Done deal! Every possible whim catered to on a touch screen? Google is there! Holocene Extinction Event Complete? Oh Yeah! Whether I or anyone likes it, the future is AI and Robotics. If Apple wants to be a player, it's got to skate to where those pucks will be.
The keys to a self driving car are suberb refundant sensors, intelligent redundant algorithms and lots of redundant processing power. The car itself is not the trick, though Tesla has shown the premium designers in Germany and Japan a new American way. Self driving cars Is AI taking sensor and fine positioning data and transmitting it to the car's controls. That's what I expect Apple to play with. However, they shouldn't approach it like CarPlay. There are already too many proprietary designs in process, each of which will be touted for safey, accuracy and reliability. Apple should just build a car that defines the best intrinsic car technology and extrinsic security and roadway network protocols. If that tech is best, then they can license. It's not that I can see them doing this, it's more that I can't see them not doing it.
You do know that self-driving cars are a real thing, right?
And we’ve had self flying airplanes for decades but every flight has a pilot and co-pilot. Passenger trains are basically self-driving but still have an engineer. Why? Because the public will simply not accept the idea of a machine in control. We want a human being (necessary or not) in the driver/pilot seat.
Bottom line is we’ve bought into Google’s vaporware concept car and think it’s right around the corner. It isn’t.
Self-driving is the last thing people will trust. Look at Mercedes Driver Assist, it failed to prevent rear end collision tested by car magazines.
Can we please just put an end to this nonsense? Apple is not releasing a self-driving car in the next 30 years, because Apple releases products that actual people will actually use in the real world.
I'm so sick of tech-blogosphere's delusion over self-driving cars.
Yes I totally agree. An Apple car to compete with Google's self driving spyware car is a NO NO NO !
The media treats self driving cars the same as Climate Change. Just currently popular words to catch your attention.
I cannot predict the future but here are some thoughts. We already are seeing a phase of autonomous driving cars. This phase is augmented. Basically smart features that help us travel safer. There are already autonomous vehicles in public. Yes they have to have a person behind the wheel but the technology is capable of driving in a very safe fashion. I see this being used in public transportation of some sort first. In order to handle all types of driving conditions there is a lot of work left to do. The big question will be how fast will the government support this effort? Will they assist in moving this forward or be a major roadblock? I am not sure yet. The possibilities of traffic control and safety in general make this something we owe it to ourselves to make sure it succeeds. Does that mean everyone? Not initially. But I could see a future where future generation look back and say "my grandparents had to drive their own cars". Just wait. It will happen in most of our lifetimes.
In 2008, Andrew Stanton predicted the future of Earth, Machines and People. The film is called Wall-E and if we all press the fast forward button to 75 years hence, it'll be about 75% accurate! Self driving cars? Done deal! No privacy? Done deal! Every possible whim catered to on a touch screen? Google is there! Holocene Extinction Event Complete? Oh Yeah! Whether I or anyone likes it, the future is AI and Robotics. If Apple wants to be a player, it's got to skate to where those pucks will be.
The keys to a self driving car are suberb refundant sensors, intelligent redundant algorithms and lots of redundant processing power. The car itself is not the trick, though Tesla has shown the premium designers in Germany and Japan a new American way. Self driving cars Is AI taking sensor and fine positioning data and transmitting it to the car's controls. That's what I expect Apple to play with. However, they shouldn't approach it like CarPlay. There are already too many proprietary designs in process, each of which will be touted for safey, accuracy and reliability. Apple should just build a car that defines the best intrinsic car technology and extrinsic security and roadway network protocols. If that tech is best, then they can license. It's not that I can see them doing this, it's more that I can't see them not doing it.
Back in 1999, there was significant agreement that the "future of mobile" looked a lot like we have (finally) today (or say last few years) - apps, video services, video calling,... Except that the Telecom mobile operators have nothing to do with the services (they just provide the pipe in most cases), which is not what everyone thought back then - it was all about the operator. And no one thought of a device like the iPhone. The Telcos spent hundreds of billions on spectrum & again more on the 3G buildout, and while it eventually paid off, it took twice as long as they thought, so we went through the Telecom melt down and depressed valuations for almost a decade.
It is one thing to say that "eventually this will happen", and another thing to build a product development & sales program around it, only to find that you are years or decades early. That is called making a bad call.
I certainly hope that Apple is investigating in the areas you note, working on prototypes, developing sensors - but NO WAY should this be their target for a first car "product".
Comments
The keys to a self driving car are suberb refundant sensors, intelligent redundant algorithms and lots of redundant processing power. The car itself is not the trick, though Tesla has shown the premium designers in Germany and Japan a new American way. Self driving cars Is AI taking sensor and fine positioning data and transmitting it to the car's controls. That's what I expect Apple to play with. However, they shouldn't approach it like CarPlay. There are already too many proprietary designs in process, each of which will be touted for safey, accuracy and reliability. Apple should just build a car that defines the best intrinsic car technology and extrinsic security and roadway network protocols. If that tech is best, then they can license. It's not that I can see them doing this, it's more that I can't see them not doing it.
An Apple car to compete with Google's self driving spyware car is a NO NO NO !
The media treats self driving cars the same as Climate Change. Just currently popular words to catch your attention.
It is one thing to say that "eventually this will happen", and another thing to build a product development & sales program around it, only to find that you are years or decades early. That is called making a bad call.
I certainly hope that Apple is investigating in the areas you note, working on prototypes, developing sensors - but NO WAY should this be their target for a first car "product".