BMW’s Series 7 has integrated Here Technologies’ HD Live Map, featured as the BMW ‘Personal Pilot’ Level 3 highly automated driving function. This development adds to the ongoing collaboration between the two companies on high-definition mapping for ADAS and automated vehicle systems.
BMW’s Personal Pilot enables drivers to disengage from steering and monitoring the road under specific conditions. Drivers can use the additional time for tasks such as work, conversation, or entertainment features like video streaming. The rollout of this function will commence with the new 7 Series, scheduled to launch in Germany in March 2024.
The Here HD Live Map contributes crucial safety-related data to the vehicle system, supporting tasks like localization, prediction and path planning, in conjunction with various vehicle sensors. By providing detailed information about the road network’s features and local regulations in advance, the Here HD Live Map enhances overall situational awareness, especially in scenarios where vehicle sensors alone might be insufficient.
BMW leverages Here HD map data not only for enhancing operational capabilities but also to define the operational design domain (ODD). This delineates the specific conditions and locations where the Personal Pilot function can be activated, ensuring a more informed and controlled deployment of automated driving features.
“The Here HD Live Map plays a central role for our BMW Personal Pilot Level 3 functionality. 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 of 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.”
Jason Jameson, executive VP and CCO at Here Technologies, added: “We are proud to support our partner BMW in bringing the next level of vehicle automation to customers. The integration of the Here HD Live Map with BMW’s Personal Pilot function marks a significant achievement, underlining the pivotal role high-definition maps play in the future of automated driving.”
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