Skip to main content

TomTom and Baidu join forces to develop HD maps for autonomous driving

TomTom and Chinese mapping service provider Baidu have joined forces to develop high definition (HD) maps for autonomous driving.
July 7, 2017 Read time: 1 min

1692 TomTom and Chinese mapping service provider Baidu have joined forces to develop high definition (HD) maps for autonomous driving. Their collaboration combines their expertise in HD map-making and artificial intelligence (AI). Baidu will leverage TomTom’s real-time map platform to improve HD map-related technologies utilised in China.

TomTom’s HD Map and RoadDNA are two digital map products helping automated vehicles precisely locate themselves on the road and plan manoeuvres, even when travelling at high speeds. TomTom’s HD Map already covers the USA and Western Europe, with over 360,000km of highways and interstates mapped.

Leveraging its resource and capabilities in AI, Baidu has been developing HD maps since 2013, using smart technologies such as deep learning to help automate data processing and map creation. Earlier this year, it announced its open source autonomous driving platform, Apollo, which aims to build a collaborative ecosystem for companies to work together and to promote the development and popularisation of autonomous driving technology.

Related Content

  • September 27, 2016
    TomTom showcases precise localisation capability
    TomTom has announced the European debut of its Localisation Demonstrator, a new demonstration device that leverages its HD Map and RoadDNA technology to provide accurate and robust lane-level localisation of a vehicle.
  • April 15, 2016
    TomTom and PSA Group participate in EU autonomous driving demonstration
    TomTom has collaborated with the French PSA Peugeot Citroen Group in an EU gathering of top politicians in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. TomTom provided its HD Maps and RoadDNA to enable PSA Group to participate in the self-driving car demonstration in Amsterdam, where EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc and 28 EU Transport Ministers gathered under the Dutch EU presidency, to work towards eliminating regulatory and technical barriers around autonomous driving. The vehicles were used in a demo
  • September 5, 2016
    Baidu and NVIDIA team up on platform for self-driving cars
    Partnership delivers self-driving AI solution with connection to the Baidu cloud for all car makers. Baidu and NVIDIA are to partner in an agreement that will use artificial intelligence (AI) in the creation of a cloud-to-car autonomous car platform for local Chinese and global car makers.
  • January 18, 2017
    TomTom acquires autonomous driving start-up
    TomTom announces that it has acquired Autonomos, a Berlin-based autonomous driving start-up, in a deal that is intended to strengthen TomTom’s position in autonomous driving. Established in 2012, Autonomos has provided research and development consultancy services for automated vehicle assistance systems and has built up expertise and technologies in the process, including a full demonstration-level autonomous driving software stack, 3D sensor technology and digital image processing. With the acqui