Man Builds His Own Self-Driving Car by Hacking Acura

Jennifer van der Kleut

George Hotz has made quite a name for himself as a hacker.

The 26-year-old San Franciscan was the first to hack the iPhone - when he was just 17 years old - so that it could be used with a network other than AT&T’s, garnering him international publicity. As Bloomberg reports, he then drew attention for hacking into the Sony Playstation 3, known for having tough defenses.

Now, he’s making headlines for reportedly hacking an Acura, and turning it into a self-driving car of his own creation.

Bloomberg reports he outfitted his 2016 Acura ILX with a lidar system on the roof, a camera attached to the rearview mirror, and a small computer screen operated with a wireless keyboard.

A Bloomberg reporter took one of the first rides in Hotz’s car along the Bay Area’s Highway 280, describing how pixelated images of the road and environment around them appeared on the computer screen as they traveled, and how the car corrected itself when it got too close to other cars.

Read the full article on Bloomberg Business.