Apple Could be Working on a Google Street View Competitor as Mysterious Cars are Spotted

[RaduTyrsina]

Apple has dropped Google Maps as the default maps app for iOS more than two years ago. Since then, it has been working consistently to improve its mapping service. However, Apple Maps still lacks a rival to Google’s Street View, but if this fresh report is anything to go by, then things could change soon.

It seems that a number of minivans with camera equipment and a LiDAR sensor mounted to the roof have appeared around California in recent weeks. At least one of the vehicles is registered to Apple, as the California Department of Motor Vehicles has confirmed to San Francisco CBS affiliate KPIX.

Along with cameras, the cars were equipped with what seems to be LiDAR sensors. These work on a laser-based technology used to make high-resolution maps and are also part of the sensing systems on self-driving vehicles. Here are some more details:

Two small disc-shaped antennas are also fitted to the roof, as well as a sensor hanging over the rear wheel that could be used to more accurately measure movement as indicated by the rotation of the wheel. An almost identical white van with California license plates was spotted last September in Brooklyn.

The number of cameras on the minivan — there appears to be at least 12 — seems to be a high number for a mapping vehicle, but Google's latest-generation Street View cars use a ring of 15 5-megapixel CMOS sensors. Aside from the physical configuration, the equipment on the Apple-registered van appears to be broadly similar to the technology fitted to a Street View car.

By the looks of it, Apple isn't planning to take on Google's self-driving car, but rather on its Street View tool. Therefore, Apple is probably testing its tools for a mapping program that would be similar to Google's Street View platform.

However, there's also a chance that Apple isn't planning to release a Street View competitor, but rather it's looking to improve the accuracy of its current map app. It can do so by tracking the cars route with GPS and other sensors which are not associated with photography.

For now, Apple hasn't commented on this matter, so this leaves room to a lot of speculation. We'll be keeping an eye on this and will report if we hear more.

Source: AppleInsider