HERE and Melco to offer new location services for autonomous vehicles

HERE Technologies and Japanese electronic equipment maker Mitsubishi Electric (Melco) have collaborated to link their technologies to offer advanced location services for autonomous vehicles.

The companies will offer services in a bid to support cars with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on the road, right through to the fully autonomous vehicles of the future.

Under the deal, the companies will draw on their respective technologies, including HERE’s mapping infrastructure for autonomous cars, HD Live Map, Open Location Platform and Melco's precise positioning technology, High-Definition Locator, for data processing, location analytics and the creation of new services.

Initially, both companies will provide services that will support smart lane-level guidance for vehicles based on real-time information pertaining to traffic conditions.

Additionally, they will analyse how information gathered by Melco from vehicle sensors can be utilised for high-definition map updates.

"While our initial focus will be on self-driving cars, over time we see our collaboration broadening as we explore powerful new services and business models for the emerging autonomous world."

Here Technologies CEO Edzard Overbeek said: "Location technology is at the core of the digital transformation happening right now across every industry and this has been the starting point for some very productive discussions between HERE Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric.

“While our initial focus will be on self-driving cars, over time we see our collaboration broadening as we explore powerful new services and business models for the emerging autonomous world."

The companies’ initial focus will be on automotive customers located in North America and European markets.

Melco Automotive Equipment group president and SVP Isao Iguchi said: “Mitsubishi Electric is actively developing self-sensing driving technologies incorporating various peripheral-sensing technologies, and network-based driving technologies incorporating satellite system and high accuracy 3D mapping.

“We believe that our partnership with HERE Technologies will strengthen our global rollout of network-based technologies for extra-autonomous driving."