TomTom, the location technology specialist, announced details of its latest fully autonomous test vehicle. The highly customized car is designed to test and improve TomTom’s autonomous driving technologies. This includes the industry-leading TomTom High Definition (HD) Map, TomTom Roadagrams, and map streaming service, TomTom AutoStream. It also announced a mapping partnership with Hella.
Eight laser scanners, stereo cameras and six radars are built into the new vehicle. This extensive sensor set allows for testing of different sensor configurations. They provide a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s surrounds, and the data from these sensors is processed and referenced against the TomTom HD Map so the vehicle can locate itself precisely.
The TomTom HD Map is a highly accurate and highly attributed representation of the road, including lane models, lane geometry and traffic signs, with accuracy down to a few centimetres. It enables automated vehicles to precisely locate themselves on the road; to build a detailed model of the surrounding environment working together with the vehicle sensors; and to plan a path to the destination.
Recently TomTom announced that it had closed deals with multiple global carmakers to provide its HD Map, which covers Europe, the United States and Asia, securing market leadership in high definition mapping.
TomTom also announced that it is workingi HELLA Aglaia, to move towards updating the TomTom High Definition (HD Map) in real time using crowdsourced camera data from vehicles. TomTom’s HD Map is a critical component for safe and comfortable autonomous driving.
As part of the collaboration, HELLA Aglaia will use AutoStream – TomTom’s innovative map delivery system – to access the latest TomTom HD Map on demand and will use the HD Map in the vehicle for accurate localization. In addition, HELLA Aglaia will share processed camera data to TomTom’s cloud-based mapping system for autonomous driving, updating the TomTom HD Map in real time. This will be achieved by generating crowdsourced map updates called Roadagrams which are used to ensure the HD Map reflects the reality of the road. TomTom AutoStream then delivers the updated map data back to the vehicle. The technology will be demonstrated to automakers and Tier 1s by the end of the year.
”