Nokia HERE reinvents maps for self-driving cars

[Darren]

An interesting article from Wired.co.uk who have been given a demonstration of Nokia HERE (formerly Navteq) mapping data that has been reinvented to cater for the future of autonomous, self-driving cars.

We're all familiar by now with the multi-layers of street data captured by mapping companies to enable them to create navigable digital maps. The base road layouts, lane information, turns, bridge heights, speed limits, POI info etc.

But the future, with the onset of self-driving cars, means these maps need to be upgraded and Nokia HERE has been working on high definition mapping with centimetre level accuracy, and data on lane closures and other traffic issues that is updated constantly.

It's a massive undertaking that begins with a laser generated scan of the roads, with 700,000 points of data per second captured using lidar. This data allows a 3D map to be created with high resolution.

Whether you can't wait for self-driving cars or dread their arrival, they're coming and sooner than you might think. We already have cars able to identify and park in a spot, adaptive cruise control that accelerates and brakes with the traffic ahead and it's technically possible to have autonomous vehicles now. But the supporting infrastructure will need to be upgraded and these high definition maps will form a key part of that.

Source: wired.co.uk

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Darren Griffin

[Lisa-Lisa]

This follows similar project of tom tom


TomTom and Volkswagen partner to shape the future of Highly Automated Driving

Paris Motor Show, 2 October 2014- TomTom (TOM2) and Volkswagen Group Research today announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join forces for the development of Highly Automated Driving (HAD) systems.

The goal of this research co-operation is to jointly develop the digital map that is essential for automated driving. The two partners bundle their competencies by combining TomTom’s expertise in map content and map making with Volkswagen’s know-how about the car as well as automated driving.

The development of automated driving systems is highly complex. TomTom and Volkswagen aim to solve a part of this puzzle and have declared that they will jointly accomplish this.

“Partnering with Volkswagen Group Research to develop the future of HAD reaffirms TomTom’s position as a key partner in the automotive market,” said Harold Goddijn, CEO TomTom. “TomTom’s mapping expertise provides the precise data and scalable technology platform needed to enable highly automated driving in cars.”

Today the map that is used for navigation, including geometry, street names, and addressing, is not sufficient for the future needs of automated driving. The car’s computer will require much more accurate and up-to-date information about its location and environment than is provided today. This includes for example more detailed information lane markings and traffic lights.

TomTom and Volkswagen Research are working on a concept based on the “Navigation Data Standard” (NDS) to deliver scalable and cost effective automated driving systems that do not require expensive hardware.

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