Apple’s “Titan” and the Future of Autonomous Driving

Mankind has made tremendous leaps in the last hundred years, inventing things that not only make our lives easier, but also more convenient. We no longer have to hunt for food, leave the house to buy things, or talk to people with our mouths. Computers, cell phones, cars, we’re living in a golden age of technology and innovation. Tasks that once required a great deal of effort now require very little. Using our phones we can skip the lines at the coffee shop, hold meetings from home, and stay in constant communication with people, even after we’ve run out of things to say. Then, just when you think it can’t get any better – or we can’t get any lazier – rumors start spreading across the internet about a certain phone and computer company planning a car that has the potential to drive itself. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not Microsoft.

Having already cornered the consumer market on phones, computers, and tablets, Apple Incorporated now has its sights set on something much larger. According to The Wall Street Journal, the California based company has secretly – or not so secretly – diverted a great deal of funds and employees to start working on an electric car code-named “Titan”. The rumored vehicle is said to resemble a mini-van, but no pictures or announcements have been made. Like everything else that comes from Apple, its being kept a secret. Granted, these could be nothing more than rumors, and “Titan” could turn out to be some sort of robot or an I-pod you can wear as a shirt. However, judging by the size of the team and the fact that Apple executives have been visiting car manufactures all over America, Canada, and Europe, it’s safe to assume these rumors might hold some truth.

Apple isn’t the first company to announce plans for an electric car with autopilot capabilities. Back in October, Elon Musk of Tesla Motors not only announced plans for an autopilot feature for its vehicles, but said that every new Model S already comes with the software and capability. However, even with Elon Musk on the task, there are many problems with autonomous driving that won’t be easy to solve. Look at Google, who has been attempting a self-driving car for years. They keep encountering problems with threatening weather conditions and rough terrain. There’s also a problem with human error. It doesn’t matter how smart the car is, you’ll still be on a road with people, who can be both unpredictable and dangerous when behind the wheel.

The day when cars can drive themselves might be close at hand, but is the world ready for it? With only four states currently giving out provisional licensing for autonomous cars, it’s possible that the rest of the country is as skeptical as the rest of us. While it sounds good in theory and might very well be a good thing that could help the elderly and potentially make the roads safer, what about those of us who actually like to drive our cars? Many car enthusiasts believe this is happening too fast and feel overwhelmed and threatened by it, especially with the government pushing their green initiatives on everybody. There’s no doubt that Apple has the ability to both create and sell an electric car capable of what the rumors suggest (some people are probably already trying to preorder) but with Tesla, GMC, Volkswagen, and even Google, promising to deliver similar products by 2017, will Apple’s “Titan” be able to stand with the rest of them? Assuming the rumors are even true, we’ll have to wait and see.