Apple develops operating system for smart cars

According to Digitimesinstead of using a third-party vehicle control solution with an improved version of Car Play, Apple will develop its own carOS platform, integrating all control and entertainment features. The similarity with Tesla is that it will be the only system that controls every function of the vehicle. The difference is that this operating system is not entirely built by Apple using a custom version of Linux Ubuntu.

Also according to a source from Taiwan, a Korean company is being selected by Apple to develop self-driving sensors for Apple Car. These sensors are part of the Domain Control Unit (DCU) – which is responsible for processing the data provided from sensors such as cameras or lidar.

Previously, Apple is also said to have partnered with a Korean semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) company on modules and chip packages related to driving features. They work with the same functionality as the chips used in Tesla cars. The project started last year and will end the pilot phase next year.

The modules include a control chip that supports autopilot to help monitor AI calculations, integrates NPU, CPU, GPU, memory, camera interface, etc. When developing the autopilot module, Tesla uses Samsung’s memory and assigns the assembly and testing to the Korean company JCET STATSChipPAC. The source confirmed that Apple is also following the same route. It manufactures individual modules for independent testing, then integrates them onto a single chip. The final mass production partner may still be TSMC.

The Apple Car self-driving car project is said to be codenamed Titan and started in 2014. The project changed five executives before the current one, Kevin Lynch, took over. Page PhoneArena Apple said that Apple could announce an official partner for self-driving car production later this year, but commercial products may not appear until 2025.

Huy Duc