Apple Hires Senior Autopilot Engineer From Tesla

Apple has hired Jamie Carlson, a senior Tesla engineer specializing in autonomous vehicle firmware. In addition to Carlson, Reuters reports that at least another six individuals with experience in developing self-driving technology have joined Apple, according to their LinkedIn profiles.

Since January, Apple has hired Megan McClain, a former Volkswagen AG engineer with expertise in automated driving, and Vinay Palakkode, a graduate researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, a hub of automated driving research. In August, Apple hired Xianqiao Tong, an engineer who developed computer vision software for driver assistance systems at microchip maker Nvidia.

Carlson joined Apple's special projects group in August. Previously he was an Autopilot Firmware Manager for Tesla and the lead firmware engineer for the Tesla autonomous vehicle.


Recently, engineers from Apple’s secretive Special Project group met with officials from GoMentum Station, to inquire a 2,100-acre former naval base near San Francisco that is being turned into a high-security testing ground for autonomous vehicles. It's believed that Apple is interested in using the facility to test its rumored self-driving electric vehicle.

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