HERE Technologies’ high-definition mapping service is being integrated into BMW’s 7 Series with its Personal Pilot Level 3 automated driving functions.
The HD maps are used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated vehicle functions. Personal Pilot allows drivers to take hands off the wheel as well as their eyes off the road under certain road conditions.
Without having to use their hands for driving, users can work, chat or utilize entertainment features like video streaming. The Personal Pilot service will be introduced into the 7 Series in March of next year.
HERE’s HD Live Maps working with vehicle sensor systems will allow vehicles to do tasks such as:
- Localization
- Prediction
- Path planning
- Extend overall situational awareness
How it will be used
The integration of the maps into BMW’s Personal Pilot will be used to define the operational design domain (ODD) that allows vehicles to know when and where the Personal Pilot function can be activated.
“It acts as the primary input source to create the car’s driving path, providing critical information about attributes such as geometry, lane positioning and predicting road traffic signs in time”, said Nicolai Martin, SVP Driving Experience at BMW Group. “With the BMW Personal Pilot, the car drives itself ‘on-map’, with the car’s sensors acting as an extra layer sharing the safety load with the map.”
The HD Live Map technology contains three layers. First, a road model provides details of the road like topology, direction of travel, elevation, slope, road rules, boundaries, tunnels and more.
Secondly, a lane model contains lane-level information such as lane lines, widths, markings, boundaries, access characteristics, stop areas and speed limits. Lastly, a localization layer classifies roadside signs, barriers, poles, signals, road surface markings, places of interest and overhead structures.
