Here Technologies calls its new map platform UniMap. It is aimed on the one hand at regular users, but also on companies and developers. In concrete terms, individual maps and services based on them should be created. The main difference to existing map platforms: UniMap should be able to provide complete and information-rich maps faster than before.
All data bundled in the UniMap
For this purpose, on the one hand, different data sources should flow into UniMap. In the announcement, Here speaks of vehicles and their sensors, which provide information every hour. An AI should evaluate this, for example to enter traffic signs, verify speed limits and update the road geometry.
In addition to information from the cameras in vehicles, data from their lidar systems – part of driver assistance systems – should also be included in UniMap. There are also aerial photographs and data from IoT devices, the information from which the maps should always keep up to date. Here aims for real world changes to be present in UniMap within 24 hours.
In addition, customers can contribute their own data to power their own mapping application. Here also refers to crowdsourcing material that UniMap can also handle – without giving any further details here. Competitor TomTom only announced a new map platform with a comparable thrust at the end of 2022, which relies heavily on OpenStreetMap.
Intended for other companies
For technical details however, the announcement remains vague. However, Here has already picked out wealthy customers: Users should be found in particular in the areas of automated driving, smart logistics and urban mobility – i.e. where other companies need a backend with the most up-to-date card information possible for their products.
(fo)
