LG Electronics has announced a partnership with HERE Technologies to develop telematics solutions for autonomous vehicles.
The two companies will partner to develop a next generation telematics solution which will play a key role as the central communications hub for autonomous vehicles.
The solution combines LG’s advanced telematics technology with high-precision map data and location services powered by the HERE Open Location Platform. Through their planned collaboration, the companies aim to support automakers globally with a robust and secure data communications hub for highly automated and fully autonomous cars.
LG has extensive operations in telematics, and HERE is the world’s leading provider of map data and location services to the automotive industry, powering more than 100 million cars on the road today.
LG is also working with automakers on the development of HD Live Map, its highly-accurate cloud-based map service which supports connected ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and automated driving solutions. HD Live Map, which LG intends to deploy in the joint solution it offers automakers, identifies all roads and surrounding features such as lane markings, stop signs, crosswalks, speed signs and traffic lights.
The importance of the company’s intellectual property and potential was highlighted in 2015 when a consortium of global automotive companies – Audi, BMW and Daimler – acquired HERE. The company has since also welcomed additional investors from the broader technology industry.
When fully developed, telematics will play a key role as the communication hub for autonomous vehicles. First, sensors in the vehicle’s ADAS – comprised of cameras, radar and lidar – read the surrounding environment and send the data to the cloud along with information on nearby vehicles collected via V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything). All the information gathered is repeatedly analyzed and transmitted to the telematics systems of vehicles for customized driving information.
“We’re excited to present a new standard for autonomous mobile communication solutions in cooperation with HERE, which has unsurpassed cutting-edge automotive guidance technology,” said Kim Jin-yong, executive vice president of LG’s Vehicle Components Smart Business Unit. “With partners like HERE, LG can continue to advance the next generation of connected car technologies to help prepare automakers for the self-driving era.”
“To operate safely and efficiently, autonomous vehicles will need many kinds of robust data sources and powerful communication technologies,” said Moon Lee, vice president of HERE Technologies APAC. “We believe our Open Location Platform-powered services can play a critical role in next-generation telematics technology for autonomous vehicles, and we’re excited to be working with LG to make this a reality.”
