Apple progresses in researching and developing self-driving car technologies even though their plans to develop a branded car is on hold.
Earlier this month, Apple obtain a permit to test the autonomous vehicles for six drivers on California roads. Most of these drivers have a Ph.Ds in specializing machine learning.
Under the law of California, Apple is to train their drivers to overtake the automated system before they go on public roads. Even though their software has been approved for use in the road, California law still puts the responsibility on the drivers and passengers to oversee the testing be trained and to manage control of the wheel at any given moment.
After obtaining a permit, Business Insider requested a public records request where they were able to gain access to materials of Apple’s application of their permit.
In the document filed, it provides information on Apple’s training program for their self-driving car initiative. Apple will place driving staffers in the training program in order to operate the vehicles in testing.
According to Apple’s official, the development platform specific training uses hardware and software that monitors surrounding objects. The hardware and software will send electronic commands for steering, accelerating and decelerating.
Apple engineers have been developing hardware and software sensors which are designed to assist a car in driving while avoiding other vehicles and pedestrians in traffic.
The one key training issue is to gain control of the autonomous car when it is necessary. By grabbing the steering wheel and pressing the brakes will disengage the electronic driving mode on the test vehicles. However, the driver can accelerate the car without interrupting the electronic driving mode.
If there is a collision, Apple says there will be relevant data captured and stored before the collision.
There are seven tests according to the document filed that Apple drivers must pass before getting fully trained. Two practice runs and three trails to pass each test.
But for now, Apple’s focus is on self-driving technologies for vehicles which is believed to be nowhere near what established automakers have already developed.
