Using a spatial computer capable of impressive things while sitting behind the steering wheel can sound interesting at first, but as soon as you dive into the details… It becomes clear that it should never be attempted, not even when the car can temporarily take over driving. Still, someone did do it. It didn't end well.
Apple poured a lot of money, sweat, and probably tears into making the Vision Pro. The $3,499 virtual reality (VR) headset aims to become an iPad for your eyes that can change how you interact with various applications. It can be a good thing for gamers, professionals, and even educators. For now, however, it comes with a few limitations, as any first-generation product does.
Still, it's an important step forward from multiple points of view. A company like Apple would never invest in a product it doesn't believe in. If things go well and third parties join in on the fun, we could end up seeing a new device that will quickly rise in global popularity like the smartphone without a physical keyboard did.
But it might also need a few well-defined limitations. The headset has a speed limit that automatically disables virtual reality content but also has a Travel Mode. Activate it, and you'll be able to use most of the available features.
The tech giant says this mode is suitable for when you're a passenger on a plane. However, it admits that the headset might "think you're on an airplane when you're not, and prompt you to turn on Travel Mode." The owner's manual does contain multiple warnings about not using Vision Pro when driving a car, riding a bicycle, or operating heavy machinery.
Reviews from last year also claimed that Apple had introduced a speed warning that covered the screens in front of your eyes, but it's unclear if it carried on to the production-ready device.
However, someone decided to ignore the company's cautionary advice and wore the headset while sitting in the driver's seat of an all-electric Tesla Model Y. Fortunately (or not), the automaker also places a great deal of interest in technology. It developed a promising advanced driver-assistance software (ADAS) that can temporarily take control of the car while on the move.
Photo: MacMasi on YouTube
It's nowhere ready for autonomous driving like Waymo's robotaxis are. Still, it can do impressive things for a technology that learns from videos of people driving and only uses cameras to see what's around, ahead, and behind it.
Looking at the short video available below, we first thought this was a clever trick meant to stir up social media users, and the guy didn't actually turn it on. However, the Vision Pro can't be worn like a pair of glasses or contacts. It doesn't allow any light to pass through the cameras when it's turned off. The user has a micro-OLED display system in front of their eyes when they wear the headset.
Thus, the Vision Pro must have been on at the time of driving. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to see a thing. FSD Beta may be good, but it's in no way a substitute for a human driver – for now, at least. The EV maker also uses a system to detect if there's someone in the driver's seat who is awake and aware of their surroundings.
Despite Apple saying that you should never use Vision Pro while operating any type of machinery and Tesla warning FSD Beta users about the fact that the ADAS "may do the wrong thing at the worst time," this guy still wore the device while sitting in the driver's seat.
Photo: The Verge on YouTube
The headset does have the potential to improve driving through augmented or mixed reality features, but it wasn't made for that. It also limits your field of view. Most of the screen recordings available online don't show that the shape of the headset impacts your peripheral vision. Besides that, motion blur can't be avoided when you're not immersed in an app or artificial environment.
When looking straight ahead, healthy human eyes have a horizontal visual field of about 210 degrees, meaning your brain is always aware of what's on your left or right side, even if you don't acknowledge it all the time.
The headset also impacts depth perception and might amplify sunlight. Lens flares could seriously affect your vision. Besides all that, it's pretty heavy, too. It weighs around 1.4 lb. It may amplify neck or head injuries in case of a frontal crash.
All in all, wearing Apple's Vision Pro while driving is a terrible idea and shouldn't be attempted on public roads. Thankfully, police officers noticed and stopped this driver before something awful might have happened.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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