The Apple Project Titan project to create self-driving cars throughout its 8-year history has faced setbacks and is forced to prove its promise to management. So say about two dozen people working on the program and well aware of the successes and failures of the project.
Recall that Apple’s idea is to create a self-driving car without a steering wheel and pedals, which can move independently, without relying on detailed three-dimensional maps, and navigate the traffic situation. In August 2021, several Apple self-driving car prototypes (modified Lexus SUVs) embarked on a 40-mile (about 64 km) trip. They were accompanied by drones to provide filming of vehicles in beautiful surroundings. The edited video was meant to be shown to Apple executives (including CEO Tim Cook) to demonstrate that Apple’s Project Titan is doing well.
The video demonstration had some success. It showed the ability of cars to move without the need for high-resolution 3D road maps. But in a more realistic setting, Apple’s self-driving cars still have problems. We are talking about collisions with curbs, non-observance of the lane when crossing the intersection and other difficulties. And earlier this year, a test car almost ran over a runner who was crossing the street and had the right of way.
According to people working on the project, these problems are caused by “constantly changing goals”, the change of key employees and managers. In addition, the project suffers from some posturing. Engineers are said to be “wasting valuable time staging demonstrations” on known routes (as in the case of filming guide videos) proving the technology works. But the problem is that it only works in certain places and routes, and not everywhere.
The company’s senior management is also said to be skeptical of the project as a whole, which spends more than a billion dollars a year on research and development. Sources say Cook’s tendency to distance himself from product development and reluctance to visit Project Titan’s offices hurt the program, and Cook’s reluctance to go into mass production upset project leaders. Head of software development Craig Federighi is also reportedly skeptical of the project.
Source: appleinsider
