The accident detection system shaped by Apple does not seem quite developed yet. Across the Atlantic, the devices of the Cupertino company seem to confuse road accidents and roller coasters.
This feature has recently become available on iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, as well as Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra.
A rather funny situation…
The device uses a combination of data from sensors to assess a potential crash, and the algorithms that feed them have been validated using over a million hours of crash, real-world driving and crash-test data. . Despite this, adjustments are still needed.
In September, an American named Sara White visited an amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio. She rode the roller coaster named Mystic Timbers, taking care to store her new iPhone 14 Pro in her banana. At the end of the ride, she looked at her phone, which showed numerous missed calls and voicemails from an emergency department asking if she was okay. The device’s system detected an accident and contacted 911, the emergency number in the United States.
” The owner of this iPhone had a serious car accident and does not answer his phone “, could hear the interlocutor, before receiving the location of Sara White. The ambulance came to the scene and realized it was a mistake. Sadly, this case isn’t unique: Another American experienced the same thing while riding a rollercoaster at another amusement park, and drivers claim their iPhones called 911 after falling in their car.
The system is bound to be improved
When iPhone detects an accident, it displays an on-screen warning for 10 seconds, then begins a 10-second countdown, accompanied by an audible alarm. When the countdown is over, the phone calls emergency, transmits a message and provides location details. The apple brand explains that rapid deceleration or a sudden stop are signs of an accident, but these are also events that often occur on roller coasters.
contacted by wall street journalan Apple spokesperson explained that the feature, which is also present on Google’s Pixel smartphones, is ” extremely precise in the detection of serious accidents and that the company has optimized it for users to receive help while minimizing false positives. He nevertheless admitted that it still needed to be improved, and will be over time thanks in particular to feedback from users and emergency physicians.
It is certain that false positives are particularly disturbing since they sometimes lead to the displacement of ambulances for nothing. However, Apple’s device has also proven its effectiveness in the state of Nebraska. It was indeed activated when a vehicle had hit a tree. The accident was fatal, and no other witnesses were present at the scene.
Source : The Wall Street Journal
Apple iPhone 14
smartphone
release date: 16-09-2022
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