獨門AI，不需參考地圖數據
Apple remains tight-lipped on its self-driving vehicle project, but a patent application published recently gives us some insight into what the tech giant has in store.
蘋果對其自駕車開發計畫總是守口如瓶，但最近公布的一項專利申請文件讓我們可以稍微深入了解蘋果的研發方向。
tight(-)lipped(adj.)守口如瓶的;口風緊的application(n.)申請文件insight(n.) 洞察力、深刻見解
The patent application, titled “Autonomous Navigation System,” revealed that Apple might have potentially a more efficient way of teaching self-driving cars to navigate the roads.
這份專利申請文件名為「自主導航系統」，顯示蘋果可能已想出更有效率的方法導航自駕車。
reveal(v.)揭露;透露=discloseefficient(adj.)有效率的navigate(v.)導航
Today, many self-driving cars rely on static information, such as maps, and sensors to identify real-time information on conditions that change on a daily basis, such as weather.
現在許多自駕車依靠地圖等靜態資訊和感應器，針對天氣等每日變化的條件，識別即時資訊。
static(adj.)靜止的、停滯的、不變的on a daily basis 每天地=every day
This is meant to minimize the intense computing power needed to drive a car.
其目的是減少自動駕駛對運算的龐大需求。
be meant to RV用意是…minimize(v.)使…降到最低=keep down=keep to a minimumintense(adj.)強烈的;極度的
But it also means that cars could be limited in terms of where they can drive, confined to only areas that the manufacturer or a partner has mapped.
但這也代表車輛可以行駛的地方會受到限制，只侷限在原車廠或其合作廠商在地圖上標示出來的地方。
in terms of~就…而言be confined to~侷限於…
In the patent application, Apple describes that its system would use its AI capabilities as well as its visual processing expertise to allow a self-driving car to navigate without needing to reference any external data sources.
在專利申請文件中，蘋果提到自家系統將會借助人工智慧技術和視覺處理的專業，讓自駕車不需參考任何外部設備提供的資訊就可以導航。
capability(n.)性能;功能reference(v.)參考=refer to~external(adj.)外在的internal(adj.)內部的
The car would use built-in sensors to continuously create a new virtual model of the world that the car is navigating through.
車子會使用內建感應器，持續建構車子行經路線的新虛擬模型。
Analysts say that if Apple can create the AI technology that doesn’t need to refer to mapping data, as well as computing systems that can store the technology within vehicles, it could make up ground on competitors who have been working on self-driving cars for far longer.
分析師指出，如果蘋果能夠創造出不需參考地圖數據的人工智慧技術，也能研發出可以將此技術儲存在車輛裡的運算系統，蘋果將可望追上花費更長時間研發自駕車的競爭者們。
make up ground on sb. 追上;趕上某人