iCar - Apple on the Verge of Testing its Driverless Car?

It’s called as Project Titan. As usual Apple denies it. But its no longer a secret that Apple is working on its driverless Autonomous Vehicle (AV) – it’s most ambitious project ever. It’s the company’s major foray into automotive space and going by an explosive latest report in the “Guardian”- Apple was scouting for possible locations near San Francisco to test its car and it had zeroed in on the Go Mentum facility near San Francisco. The basis of the Guardian report stems from its revelation that it has got hold of the communication transcripts between Apple engineer Frank Fearon and Go Mentum officials with former asking for availability of the testing facility.

The rumours on Apple’s self-driven car have been doing the rounds for sometime, but this is for the first time documentary evidence has emerged. That Apple asking the officials at the Go Mentum ( a simulated track to test self driven cars near San Francisco) to test its car is ample proof that Apple car project really exists. Interestingly, Go Mentum is a former US Naval weapons station and is still guarded by the military and clearly out of bounds for the masses. And this level of secrecy is perfect for Apple, which is known for its closely guarded approach on all of its devices till the time of its launch.

It is also to be noted that this level of secrecy might work for mobile devices, but a car being a transport vehicle needs to be tested in real life conditions at some point in time and hence Apple cannot put in under wraps for a long period.

While Apple had denied the report but nevertheless it is clearly understood that Apple is putting to test its so-called ‘Project Titan’ and is ready with its test vehicle. It is unclear, whether Apple will be putting a software module on a conventional car and testing it or has its own chassis.

It may be also recalled, Apple has been making definite forays into automotive space in the last few months by poaching some of the top executives from the auto –industry and assembling a team of engineers who are said to be working in a unnamed facility in Sunnyvale in California, near its Cupertino HO.

Whatever it is, it is to be seen with companies like Google taking an early lead, in what ways Apple will be able to redefine things here is to be seen. But if one takes long term view and the kind of hectic activity going on this space, a driverless car once when tested across traffic and terrain patterns cutting across geographies will be an ultimate disruption in the way we travel.

It’s called as Project Titan. As usual Apple denies it. But its no longer a secret that Apple is working on its driver less Autonomous Vehicle (AV) – it’s most ambitious project ever. It’s the company’s major foray into automotive space and going by an explosive latest report in the “Guardian”- Apple was scouting for possible locations near San Francisco to test its car and it had zeroed in on the Go Mentum facility near San Francisco. The basis if the Guardian report stems from its revelation that it has got hold of the communication transcripts between Apple engineer Frank Fearon and Go Mentum officials with former asking for availability of the testing facility.

The rumors on Apple’s self-driven car have been doing the rounds for sometime, but this is for the first time documentary evidence has emerged. That Apple asking the officials at the Go Mentum ( a simulated track to test self driven cars near San Francisco) to test its car is ample proof that Apple car project really exists. Interestingly, Go Mentum is a former US Naval Air Base and is still guarded by the military and clearly out of bounds for the masses. And this level of secrecy is perfect for Apple, which is known for its closely guarded approach on all of its devices till the time of its launch.

It is also to be noted that the levels this level of secrecy might work for mobile devices, but a car being a transport vehicle needs to test in real life conditions at some point in time and hence Apple cannot put in under wraps for a long period.

While Apple had denied the report but nevertheless it is clearly understood that Apple is putting to test its so-called ‘Project Titan’ and is ready with its test vehicle. It is unclear, whether Apple will be putting a software module on a conventional car and testing it or has its own chassis.

It may be also recalled, Apple has been making definite forays into automotive space in the last few months by poaching some of the top executives from the auto –industry and assembling a team of engineers who are said to be working in a unnamed facility in Sunnyvale in California, near its Cupertino HO.

Whatever it is, it is to be seen with companies like Google taking an early lead, in what ways Apple will be able to redefine things here is to be seen. But if one takes long term view and the kind of hectic activity going on this space, a driver less car once when tested across traffic and terrain patters cutting across geographies will be an ultimate disruption in the way we travel.