Leaked internal documents have revealed that Apple is getting ready to test drive its own driverless cars.
According to reports, the Cupertino-based tech giant is currently looking for a suitable facility to test its Project Titan, which is rumored to be an initiative for Apple's autonomous vehicles.
Based on the information obtained by The Guardian, one of the locations that Apple is considering is the GoMentum Station in San Francisco. This facility used to be a naval weapons base that was last used during World War II.
With 20 miles of paved roads, the area can provide enough space to test newly developed vehicles.
According to Randy Iwasaki, the executive of Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the owner of GoMentum Station, nothing has been finalized yet regarding Apple's acquisition of the facility. However, the executive noted that the tech firm is very interested in securing the location.
"We had to sign a non-disclosure agreement with Apple," he told The Guardian. "We can't tell you anything other than they've come in and they're interested."
"GoMentum Station is 40 miles north of Silicon Valley," Iwasaki added. "And there's not a lot of vacant space in the Valley if you want to do testing in a secure location. We're close enough that companies can bring their vehicles north, store them in the Concord area and bring their software and hardware engineers up."
However, as noted by The Next Web, although Apple is looking for a testing facility, the report by The Guardian does not directly confirm that Apple is developing its own self-driving car.
But, the company's interest in GoMentum Station strongly suggests that Project Titan is not about a new smartphone, tablet or laptop. Instead, it could signify the expansion of Apple's operations into a different industry.
According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, Project Titan might actually be about a smart head-up display or HUD for vehicles. The site reported that Apple's HUD will share the same function as the technology used by fighter jet pilots.
Through a smart HUD, drivers or car passengers will be able to display online-based information on the vehicle's windshield just like an iPhone or iPad.
If this is true, then Project Titan might not directly involve autonomous cars. Instead, it could be about smart cars that still require drivers behind the steering wheel.
However, for now, details about Project Titan are still vague. Hopefully, Apple will share more information about this mysterious project in the near future.
