HERE and automotive industry leaders taking next steps to drive global standard for in-vehicle data

HERE, a leader in mapping, navigation and location experiences, along with participants from a dozen companies from the automotive industry assembled yesterday in Auburn Hills, Michigan to continue their joint efforts to drive a global standard for how in-vehicle sensor data is transmitted to a location cloud. The aim of this effort is to accelerate the development of automated driving and to ensure that the results are available globally. Any interested party can find out more and join here.

The range of participants, which included representatives from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, INRIX, Robert Bosch GmbH and TomTom, demonstrates the importance of collaboration to further the technological aspirations of the industry.

The event follows a successful initial gathering in Berlin this summer where 16 automotive, companies, system vendors and suppliers met to kick off a discussion about establishing an interface that defines how sensor data gathered by vehicles on the road can be ingested by the cloud. As cars become connected to the Internet they will generate tremendous amounts of data. The ability to share this data across all car makers globally, while protecting driver privacy, is essential to making automated driving a reality.

With a standard format for this data, modern vehicles can more easily transmit to the cloud information about road conditions in real-time to improve safety for drivers. The data generated would be analogous regardless of vehicle manufacturer and could be pooled, processed and analyzed quickly to create a detailed live view of traffic conditions.

“Connectivity is transforming the automotive industry and soon cars will generate tremendous amounts of data that can be used to reduce the number of accidents and congestion on the roads,” said Ogi Redzic, Senior Vice President of Automotive at HERE. “An accident free future becomes more likely when as many industry players as possible around the world can work together to help cars get the full picture of the road ahead.”

At the Auburn Hills event participants discussed technical issues such as data content, security, anonymization, technical accuracy and efficiency. In addition participants addressed how best to hand over the specification to a neutral standards body to ensure cooperation among all industry players globally. HERE has already had initial discussions with two leading standards organizations on the swift handover of the initial proposed specification, which has been made available through a creative commons license.

“Our goal is to find a home for this specification that is open, accessible to all members and non-members and global,” said Redzic.

“This data-focused initiative intended to enhance driving safety extends beyond the collection, interpretation and integration of data to the very process of collaboration that is redefining the purpose of vehicle connectivity,” said Roger Lanctot, Associate Director, Strategy Analytics. “In the brave new connected world facing the industry, car companies will for the first time begin to share data for the greater collective good.”

On November 4, HERE will gather automotive companies from across Asia at an event in Tokyo to further drive industry collaboration.

To know more about the standard for how in-vehicle sensor data is transmitted to a location cloud, read our official blog, HERE 360.

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