Apple Secures Patent for Level 4 Autonomous Car with Retractable Steering Wheel and Pedals

September 06, 2023 By Awanish Kumar

(Image Credit Google)

Image credit : The US Sun A long trail of rumors dating back to 2015 have dropped hints that Apple is working on its first car. The final set of updates affirms that the Apple car may not see the light of the day until 2026. But the recent developments and speculations have given way to some concrete steps in this direction. As reported by 9To5Mac ,Apple has already been granted a patent for a retractable steering wheel and pedals in a car, when it is being utilized in auto-driving mode. The patent document sheds light on a car which is able to self drive in certain situations, but not in others – leaving a lot of dots to be joined. Meanwhile, Apple has shared some clues regarding this new venture that this car can drive itself fully autonomously in a convenient scenario of a multi-lane highway, but in tough terrains or situations where it needs to be driven manually. [caption id="attachment_192384" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Apple car

Image credit : Tech Radar[/caption] The patent snippet reads : Traditional passenger vehicles include driver input devices for receiving driver inputs to control motion of the vehicle. Typical driver input devices include a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal for receiving the driver inputs that include steering, accelerator, and brake control inputs, respectively, from the driver. With ongoing development of autonomous driving systems, driver inputs may not be required to control motion of the vehicle in at least some circumstances, whereas driver inputs may still be required or desired in other circumstances. For example, driver input may not be required while driving on a highway with adaptive cruise control systems. whereby accelerator and braking inputs are automated to accelerate and slow the vehicle according to radar-based sensing of other vehicles, and with lane-centering systems, whereby steering inputs are automated to maintain the vehicle in a lane. Depending on the autonomous driving systems that are available on a given vehicle, driver input may still be required in other circumstances, such as in congested or less-controlled environments (e.g., in urban areas, or may otherwise be desired, such as when the driver simply prefers to manually control motion of the vehicle. Also read : Mercedes-Benz eSprinter: Starting Price and Specs for the Iconic Electrified Van The rumors suggest it to be a Level 4 car, because they aren’t capable of self-driving on all the terrains, you still require traditional manual driving controls. It restricts the flexibility of the interior layout of the car, in contrast with the complete freedom offered by a Level 5 car where the interior can act more as a lounge than a car.

By Awanish Kumar

I keep abreast of the latest technological developments to bring you unfiltered information about gadgets.

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