Looking to further its own ambitions in the realm of autonomous driving, Intel Corporation has taken a 15% stake in Dutch digital maps and location-based services (LBS) provider HERE.
Intel will be one of the first non-automotive manufacturers to take an ownership stake in HERE following Audi, BMW and Daimler also becoming indirect shareholders. As part of the agreement, the companies will collaborate on research and development of a scalable proof-of-concept architecture to support real-time updates of high-definition maps for partial and full autonomous driving.
HERE’s cloud service supporting vehicle automation allows vehicles to “see” obstacles beyond their immediate field of vision. Source: HERE Furthermore, as part of the agreement, the companies will also explore strategic opportunities that result from edge computing devices with location data.
"A real-time, self-healing and high-definition representation of the physical world is critical for autonomous driving, and achieving this will require significantly more powerful and capable in-vehicle compute platforms," says Edzard Overbeek, CEO of HERE. "As a premier silicon provider, Intel can help accelerate HERE's ambitions in this area by supporting the creation of a universal, always up-to-date digital location platform that spans the vehicle, the cloud and everything else connected."
The proof-of-concept architecture will be designed to help make autonomous driving as safe and predictable as possible. Intel says this will help vehicles precisely position themselves on the roadway to enable reliable autonomous driving functionality. HERE’s cloud service supporting vehicle automation allows vehicles to “see” obstacles beyond their immediate field of vision and receive real-time updates as environments change due to traffic, road conditions and other factors.
Intel says it will also work with Audi, BMW and Daimler to test the new architecture. Once completed, the two companies will offer the architecture across the automotive industry, in order to simplify and shorten time of development for automakers that want to include autonomous features in their cars.
