After obtaining a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles two weeks ago, which makes it part of the group of 29 companies that have the permit to test self-driving vehicles in California including the likes of Google, Tesla and others. first real-world images of the vehicle Apple’s using to test its rumored autonomous driving software have now surfaced. Bloomberg was able to obtain photos of a sensor-laden white Lexus R450h SUV as it emerged from an Apple facility.
The car was outfitted with two radars, a bunch of cameras and a Velodyne 64-channel LiDAR, a detection system that works on the principle of radar but uses light from a laser. While the LiDAR system is mounted on the roof, two radars can be seen on the front and rear bumpers. Cameras in protective housings can be seen along the car’s exterior.
Apple is using a Lexus car for its ‘Project Titan’ car initiative since the company is first developing the software that will power its future vehicle. It is said that Apple first wants to develop an autonomous car software before shifting its focus on the hardware side of the project.
Considering the fact that Apple took out its car for road testing just after two weeks of getting the permit, the iPhone maker seems eager to test out what it has developed in secret.
Source: Bloomberg