Just when you thought they couldn’t come up with any more state of the art ideas, the worldwide juggernaut corporation of Apple may do it again. The iCar at this point sounds like a toy, a cute little app of a racing game made available for iPhones everywhere; but it’s not. This newly developed concept by Apple of the iCar catapults the company into the automobile industry after reigning supreme in the world of smartphones. And with the technological advancements the iCar possess, Apple just might take over the entire world of technology in the near future.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cooke outlined the design concept of the iCar and projected it launch date to be sometime in 2020. The car has been designed as an electric car that has the ability to drive itself. Apple has hired engineers from Tesla in developing the iCar, given the name project Titan, and has also recruited experts in battery technology from the competitor, Samsung. And while self-driving cars are already available on the market, it is the batter of the iCar that will command the most attention of all its features.
LIDAR technology has been employed for mapping purposes. LIDAR is a laser that spins about 10 revolutions a second and offers a full 360-degree view of the car. The car is set to be installed by an iOS system enabling users to unlock the car and start the engine by synchronizing with an Apple device like an iPhone, iPad, etc. There have also been rumours that the car will feature the latest in camera technology that will be able to control car functions by reading hand gestures.
What’s more, is that Apple’s Carplay feature will help drivers engage with the software of the car even controlling it via voice commands. Apple claims that once a driver’s iPhone is fully integrated within the car’s system it will allow the drive to use voice commands, make calls, dictate and send text messages, GPS guidance, traffic reports on the roads, etc. The iPhone can also be used to set the car’s setting like temperature, radio station, volume level(s). The iCar is also designed to be a lightweight car, but with all the power of a vehicle that can travel across long distances.
As of now, there have been reports of a few test drives of the automated iCar in San Francisco, along with other areas of the U.S. The car that was spotted careening the roads was only mapping them for the iOS system. There have also been reports that Apple may have established a separate HQ in which hundreds of engineers and labourers are working to develop an automated electric vehicle.
Therefore, whether or not the iCar remains a myth or is in fact reality is uncertain at this point. Those considering Apple’s accomplishments it should come as no surprise to have a car launched in 2020 that has all the possible technological features, and so much more, as described above.
