The autonomous vehicle market is widely predicted to explode in the coming years. Two companies have announced a collaboration that will make it easier for them to reach their own self-driving goals. Former Nokia mapping service HERE and computer vision manufacturer Mobileye announced a new partnership this week.
As part of the pairing, the companies will combine HERE’s HD Live Map technology with Mobileye’s Roadbook.
Roadbook searches out drivable routes on maps, delivering the information in real-time through crowdsourced data. HD Live Map will become a new layer to add to the data. This will help an autonomous vehicle by giving detailed maps that supplement the onboard sensors. Vehicles use HD maps to see what is coming on a specific route.
“We are building a state-of-the-art global HD map that is becoming the standard for autonomous driving and other IoT applications that need precise location-based information and services,” said Edzard Overbeek, CEO of HERE. “We are rapidly expanding this capability and I am very pleased that we can accelerate that work with Mobileye, a strategic partner which shares our view of where the automotive and other industries are going.”
Mobileye will also adopt HERE Open Location Platform. In return, the digital maps company will receive Mobileye’s raw data gathered from its REM technology, which monitors road conditions. Because of this, HD Live Map should update faster.
“High-definition mapping is a key enabler for autonomous driving. Mobileye’s REM technology, enabling crowd-sourced data extraction, together with the backend processing of the Roadbook combined with HERE HD Live Map is critical to ensure dynamic, near real-time updates”, said Professor Amnon Shashua, Chairman and CTO of Mobileye. “We are pleased to work with HERE to create a “world HD-map” standard, leveraging the combined fleet size of certain vehicle brands initially, with the objective of eventually launching an industry wide initiative.”
HERE Maps
Many Windows users will remember HERE as Microsoft’s de facto mapping service. When the company was owned by Nokia, it became one of the most compelling aspects of Windows Phone devices. HERE was a true alternative and contender to Google Maps. Indeed, Microsoft has been unable to replicate HERE’s success with its own mapping service.
HERE is now owned by a German automobile consortium comprising Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. Those companies all have autonomous vehicle aspirations. HERE maps will become a big part of implementing the technology in the future.
