“Apple has today filed a patent for a set of intriguing new autonomous vehicle features called ‘Peloton,'” Michael Potuck reports for 9to5Mac. “The filing describes the ability for multiple self-driving cars to share battery capacity via a ‘connector arm,’ dynamically adjust positions, increase efficiency, and more.”
“Apple says that its peloton system could be used with as few as two autonomous vehicles, but it sounds like many cars could be linked together in a caravan to see greater benefits like increased aerodynamics and more,” Potuck reports. “The summary of the patent gives a good overview of what Apple is trying to accomplish.”
Apple’s patent application summary:
A vehicle configured to be autonomously navigated in a peloton along a roadway, wherein the peloton comprises at least the vehicle at least one additional vehicle, is configured to determine a position of the vehicle in the peloton which reduces differences in relative driving ranges among the vehicles included in the peloton. The vehicles can dynamically adjust peloton positions while navigating to reduce driving range differences among the vehicles. The vehicle can include a power management system which enables the vehicle to be electrically coupled to a battery included in another vehicle in the peloton, so that driving range differences between the vehicles can be reduced via load sharing via the electrical connection. The vehicle can include a power connector arm which extends a power connector to couple with an interface of another vehicle.
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Prior art:
This idea has been discussed in the past. While it is interesting and may eventually happen, it doesn’t seem patentable as a result.
Peloton is Finish and means Fierless.
It’s also possible that one of the vehicles in the peloton could have onboard generation capabilities, or that the same kind of arrangement as fighter planes meeting a tanker could be used so that they’d literally never have to stop before getting to their destination, even one many hours away (or even days).
If there are people on those, they’d need a sleeper car and restroom facilities.
That stealth refueling video was hot. My dad helped design “some part” of that plane. He’d never blow his clearance. Wouldn’t tell what. At back to school career day he told the class the old. “He could tell them what he does
But he’d have to kill them”. Said in a nice way. It was actually over the kids heads.
Apple needs to get in on some gubment contracts. I’m sure they do. Why not
Peace.
as long as we have an atmosphere i’ll keep my hovercraft. yes, it kicks up a bit of dust but, what doesn’t have a price. just rolled my eyes a little. energy is a worthy and consequential frontier. i’d rather see apple invest there rather than give me another netflix.