“The whitepaper published by Apple is a rather generic explanation of how autonomous driver assist systems work, and steers clear of any specific insight.”
Apple has published a whitepaper on its autonomous driving efforts. Contrary to what this statement might lead you to believe, the whitepaper is not a detailed insight that reveals interesting details about Apple’s in-house autonomous driving safety and technology developments. Instead, it is a rather generic explanation of how advanced driver assistance systems work in general, and completely skips any mention of what Apple brings to the table in this burgeoning sector.
The paper, titled ‘Our approach to automated driving system safety’, uses the most common keywords associated with this sector to provide a written confirmation that the Cupertino technology giant is indeed up to speed with some of its compatriots when it comes to the core technology of autonomous vehicles. It primarily highlights the aspect of security and privacy of automated driving systems (ADS), which is where Apple appears to be focusing as of now.
The paper states, “Apple uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to make our products and services smarter, more intuitive, and more personalized. We are investing heavily in the study of machine learning and automation, and we are excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation. In particular, we believe that automated driving systems (ADS) have the promise to greatly enhance the human experience in three key areas: improving road safety, increasing mobility, and realizing broader societal benefits.“
The detailed explanation of Apple’s system is fairly generic to the industry, in terms of how Apple describes its operation and implementation. For instance, obstacle sensing uses “a combination of sensors, including LiDAR, radar, and cameras, and provides high-resolution 360-degree 3D coverage around the vehicle.” Route planning and execution are handled by cooperative, convolutional neural networks, high definition maps and accurate positioning equipment — all in line with what other technology companies have already done.
Apple further touches upon safety analysis and verification of hardware and software systems to check on system health and add a layer of redundancy. This has been a much-discussed factor in the realm of autonomous vehicles, and is possibly the only point of real interest in the entire whitepaper. Apple has often been known for its stringent privacy and rigorous safety standards, and it may leverage this to implement in ADS units, thereby improving the pivotal point of on-road safety.
The rest of the paper touches on general operational safety and ongoing tests, all seemingly reaffirming that Apple is progressively engaged in the field as much as its fellow technology innovators, but would rather keep its actual developments in the shadows for now.