Skip to main content

Japan to develop 3-D maps for self-driving cars in time for Tokyo Olympics

A joint venture in Japan will begin creating high-definition 3-D maps for self-driving cars in September as part of a government effort to have such vehicles on the road by 2020, when the Tokyo Summer Olympics will be held, reports Nikkei. Mitsubishi Electric company Dynamic Map Planning, mapmaker Zenrin and nine Japanese auto makers will begin creating high definition 3D maps for self-driving cars, digitally charting the country's key expressways by driving a vehicle loaded with special surveying equipm
September 13, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A joint venture in Japan will begin creating high-definition 3-D maps for self-driving cars in September as part of a government effort to have such vehicles on the road by 2020, when the Tokyo Summer Olympics will be held, reports Nikkei.

7874 Mitsubishi Electric company Dynamic Map Planning, mapmaker Zenrin and nine Japanese auto makers will begin creating high definition 3D maps for self-driving cars, digitally charting the country's key expressways by driving a vehicle loaded with special surveying equipment. The data will be processed using computers designed for the creation of maps, which will be provided to automakers that invest in the start-up.

As a first step, Tokyo-based Dynamic Map Planning, appointed by Japan’s Cabinet Office's Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, will make maps covering 300km of the country's main expressways.

Mitsubishi Electric has developed the high-precision surveying equipment that will be installed on the survey vehicle. GPS will track the location of the car on the map and sensors designed to detect the inclination of the car will measure the road grades, while lasers will co0llect data on the locations of road signs and traffic lights, as well as right- and left-turns and pedestrian crossings. Lines on the road, such as lanes, noise barriers and road signage, will be plotted on that image to faithfully re-create road conditions for 3-D maps.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Iteris tech to manage traffic during I-405 upgrade
    August 3, 2020
    Safety is emphasised during California highway improvement work
  • Tattile explores freedom of movement
    October 5, 2020
    Dense urban centres are complex enforcement environments – but camera-based traffic systems enable all aspects of monitoring, explains Massimiliano Cominelli of Tattile
  • Baumer's LX cameras for inspection tasks
    October 25, 2018
    Baumer’s LX cameras are expected to offer high resolutions and frame rates up to 337fps and 3D algorithms for inspections in railway networks and catenary infrastructure. The company says the global shutter CMOS cameras provide resolutions up to 48 megapixel for inspecting tracks, rails and catenary wires. Also, the LX models come with exposure times of less than 10 µs for precise image acquisition even at high speed. For inspections of pantographs, wheels or brakes, the LX 3D cameras use laser triangula
  • AVs in the Netherlands? Don't forget the bikes
    June 11, 2019
    The Netherlands’ famous love of bicycles could be a problem when it comes to the deployment of autonomous vehicles there. And there might be other obstacles, finds Ben Spencer Of all the countries on the planet, the Netherlands is most ready to start deploying autonomous vehicles (AVs), according to a survey by KPMG earlier this year. On the face of it, this is good news: coming first out of 25 countries listed in the Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index (AVRI) for the second consecutive year puts the Du