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Apple Car Could Feature Exterior Displays to Show Traffic Information, Warning Messages

While Apple has remained tight-lipped on the Apple Car, everybody knows it’s coming, and more importantly, everybody knows it’s going to be a major turning point for the automotive industry from a tech perspective.
Apple Car patent drawing 7 photos
Photo: USPTO
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This is because the Cupertino-based company, which is currently one of the top tech names in the industry, has already created a plethora of innovations that could fit a self-driving car. And what’s more, the firm keeps patenting new ideas which at one point could end up being used on a vehicle too.

One such patent has recently been discovered, and it describes an implementation that makes a lot of sense given Apple wants to build a car with autonomous driving capabilities.

It’s a system comprising an army of external displays that would be installed all around the car. And given they’re external displays, they wouldn’t be used by the people inside the vehicle, but by everyone else around it, including pedestrians and other motorists.

So Apple’s idea is to actually use the screens to display information about the actions of the Apple Car, including what it sees and what it’s supposed to do next.

For example, the displays could show the current speed of the car, so the drivers behind it could know exactly how fast it’s going. Also, it can show alert messages when braking hard, while also displaying goodbye or welcome messages to their owners in a parking lot.

Needless to say, Apple could very well use these external displays for a wide array of other purposes, and depending on their quality, they could end up being able to show not only graphics but also video.

Of course, installing exterior displays on a car isn’t by any means cheap, so such an approach could substantially increase the price of the vehicle. But on the other hand, nobody expects the Apple Car to be affordable, so at some level, such an idea makes total sense on a vehicle so innovative.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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