Acording to Bloomberg, Apple’s now-failed self-driving car project once used a gamepad-style backup control system instead of a traditional steering wheel.
According to reports, the controller was part of a prototype tested by Apple CEO Tim Cook in 2020 and is “similar to an Xbox controller.” Employees call the prototype the “Bread Loaf” because of its van shape, and the controller is its most mature backup control system. According to reports, Apple executives want the car to be fully autonomous, so the controller is only used when the vehicle encounters complex road conditions that are difficult to handle.
After nearly 10 years of research and development, Apple terminated its electric car project code-named “Project Titan” on February 27 this year.
In an in-depth report, Bloomberg detailed the various design changes the project went through, including what became known as the I-Beam after the Van.
However, the “van” impressed Cook and other Apple executives, and they wanted it to be equipped with the most advanced self-driving software after a test drive, but Bloomberg quoted sources as saying that Apple engineers at the time were not sure whether it could be achieved. There is no confidence in technology.
Apple later changed that strategy and planned to move to a Level 2 autonomous driving assistance system that would allow the driver to temporarily remove themselves from the steering wheel, a far cry from Apple’s original vision. According to Bloomberg, the company’s initial goal is to build a Level 5 autonomous electric vehicle that requires no human intervention at all. It is reported that Apple spends about US$1 billion on this project every year (Note: currently about 7.2 billion RMB).
