Apple Developing Autonomous Shuttle Service PAIL For Employees

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Apple PAIL shuttle cars will run on self-driving technology developed by the tech major

American tech major Apple is developing a self-driving shuttle service for its employees. The shuttle service has been named as PAIL and this service will ferry the employees between the company’s office buildings in Palo Alto and Cupertino in California. The vehicles will run on autonomous driving technology developed by the tech brand.

Apple is still tight lipped about the service. But it is not unknown that the company is very ambitious about futuristic driverless cars. However, Apple has postponed the project of building new car. But it is working on the self-driving technology and the PAIL shuttle service is part of that development process. This service will give the company a real-life testing platform for its autonomous driving technology.

Apple autonomous car

Also read: Google Waymo’s Self-Driving Car Firefly Retires

It is not sure, what will be the vehicle on which this self-driving technology will be tested. But, in April 2017 the company received approval from California Department of Motor Vehicles to test its autonomous technology with three Lexus RX450h SUVs. These cars could be used for the futuristic self-driving shuttle service. But, that’s not confirmed yet.

Apple’s self-driving car project named as Titan, under which the company was trying to build its own car for commercial purpose is scrapped as of now. Instead, the brand is focusing on developing and proving self driving technology to other automakers who will be able to apply the system on their own cars. Apple’s in-house autonomous shuttle service is yet to start and it comes in line with Google Waymo, Uber and couple of other companies that have been testing self-driving vehicles across the world.

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Also read: 20+ Expected Upcoming Cars at 2018 Auto Expo

Self-driving car projects are something on which several leading automakers are working. Volvo and Tesla have made significant progress already, but no one actually offers a completely autonomous driver system. Instead, all the systems available currently come as driver assisting semi-autonomous technology.

Source: NY Times