The Last Driver License Holder has posted photos of a new sensor configuration atop an Apple autonomous vehicle.
After the first video of the new sensor configuration of Apple’s autonomous cars surfaced, we got new pictures from a closer perspective. Our readers Jens & Katharina Lehmann spotted the vehicle in Cupertino, California.
9to5Mac’s Ben Lovejoy speculates that this might be a newer test setup of an all-camera system that excludes LiDAR. Apple’s self-driving cars have so far used a mix of sensors, which the company has said includes LiDAR, radar, and cameras.
Tesla, however, is convinced that all-camera setups are the future of self-driving cars. These are less prone to interference from rain and snow, and can also read signs to provide a more detailed understanding of the environment. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has even said that any manufacturer relying on LiDAR for self-driving cars is doomed.
MacDailyNews Take: There could easily still be LiDAR in that array. In fact, it makes more sense to include all sensors in your test package. That way you can simply turn off LiDAR if you want to test and all-camera system.
Check out all of the new photos here.