Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (number US 11790616 B2) for an “immersive virtual display” for a vehicle.
The patent involves a virtual reality (VR) system for vehicles that may implement methods that address problems with vehicles in motion that may result in motion sickness for passengers. The VR system may provide virtual views that match visual cues with the physical motions that a passenger experiences. The VR system may provide immersive VR experiences by replacing the view of the real world with virtual environments.
Active vehicle systems and/or vehicle control systems may be integrated with the VR system to provide physical effects with the virtual experiences. Apple says ghe virtual environments may be altered to accommodate a passenger upon determining that the passenger is prone to or is exhibiting signs of motion sickness.
When might we see an Apple Car?
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple’s work on the Apple Car has “lost all visibility at the current time. He adds that if Apple does not adopt some kind of acquisition strategy to make inroads in the automotive market, it is unlikely that the Apple Car will be able to go into mass production “within the next years.”
On. Nov. 18, 2021, Bloomberg reported that Apple was accelerating development on its “Apple Car.” The article said that the electric vehicle will be self-driving and could roll out in 2025.
What’s more, in a note to clients — as noted by AppleInsider — investment bank Wedbush said Apple is likely to announce a strategic electric vehicle partnership in 2022 to lay the groundwork for an “Apple Car” release in 2025.
If Kuo is correct — and I suspect he is — those predictions are way too optimistic.
