Bloomberg reported that Apple Inc. is in talks with multiple suppliers of self-driving car sensors known as lidar, according to people familiar with the matter, a key milestone toward development of its first passenger vehicle, stated the Bloomberg.
The technology giant has been working on a driverless vehicle project for several years and has developed on its own most of the necessary software, underlying processors and artificial intelligence algorithms needed for such a sophisticated system. Apple is looking to outside vendors to supply critical hardware for a planned autonomous vehicle, the report informed.
While spokesperson the Apple declined to comment, the ongoing discussions are a sign that Apple has yet to settle on a preferred supplier for lidar and that it’s likely mulling a range of options, including a heavily customized version of the sensors, as it moves toward developing a car design. That’s an indication that a finished product is still several years away.