BMW Group and Mobileye have announced they have signed an agreement to crowd source data for high definition maps that will be needed for autonomous driving.
Camera-based Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) technology is a critical enabler for autonomous driving, Mobileye points out.
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The agreement is entered into with the 'goal to further promote automated driving in a safe and robust way'. Mobileye says that BMW Group sensor data can be merged with data from different automakers, resulting in a larger scale of data used to create Mobileye's Global RoadBook, to support and rapidly update HD maps with highly accurate localisation capabilities.
The agreement with BMW follows a similar agreement earlier this month with Volkswagen.
Autonomous vehicles will require HD maps that can identify and update changes in the environment with near real-time speed enabling very short "time to reflect reality".
Mobileye says the cameras that are enabled to collect anonymized, fleet-wide data act as intelligent agents that, through Mobileye EyeQ processors and software, can identify valuable information that is sent to the cloud in a highly compressed form (10 kilobytes per kilometer). This data, it says, can be used to add a dynamic layer to current and future navigation maps, enabling BMW Group customers to access true real-time information on traffic density, potential road hazards, weather conditions, on-street parking, and other helpful information.
To support the rapid creation and updating of HD mapping, the BMW Group and Mobileye will transfer anonymized data to HERE, the mapping and location service. HERE will use this data and information to conduct real-time updates of HERE HD Live Map, HERE's real-time cloud service for partially, highly and fully automated vehicles, and enhance its Open Location Platform, ensuring an accurate depiction of the real world as it changes. Mobileye and HERE earlier communicated their intention to integrate data gathered through REM™ technology as a layer in HERE HD Live Map.
The BMW Group says it has always stressed that it is open for collaboration with additional partners, be it OEMs or other third parties.
"This announcement demonstrates that our partnership is rapidly bringing innovation to market to allow customers to benefit from the latest technology," said Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. "At a strategic level, this announcement makes it clear how our cooperation with Mobileye leverages our investment stake in HERE. The data of future BMW vehicles will enrich the quality of maps and services for everyone. Furthermore, this represents a significant step towards introducing the BMW iNEXT with its features of highly automated driving in 2021 as well as creating a leading ecosystem around HERE's Open Location Platform leveraged by swarm data from millions of vehicles across the world."
"We welcome the opportunity to take this next step in our relationship with BMW Group," said Professor Amnon Shashua, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of Mobileye. "Camera-based ADAS systems are already making the roads safer. Global RoadBook is an initiative to utilize data from these cameras to create the high-definition maps required to make the next generation of autonomous driving a reality, in an inclusive way which will create an industry standard."
