With this collaboration, the companies are developing hardware solutions that provide the highly accurate navigation data required for automated driving.

Las Vegas, Nevada, US, 8 January 2024 - TomTom (TOM2), the location technology specialist, and Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America today announced they are integrating technologies to develop new solutions and drive innovation in automated driving. Through this collaboration, TomTom’s Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) Map will power Mitsubishi Electric’s High-Definition Locator hardware, providing the highly accurate data required for automated driving. Mitsubishi Electric’s High-Definition Locator is a highly precise vehicle positioning system by its own positioning algorithm that utilizes global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and inertial measurement unit (IMU). Combined with the high-definition mapping that TomTom’s map provides, the system generates accurate information on the vehicle’s position and road data critical for automated driving applications such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications.

TomTom leverages a multi-sourcing strategy for its map, including data from GPS probes, front facing cameras, and vehicle sensors, to allow automated driving systems to anticipate the road ahead. Already being used in millions of vehicles on the road for Levels 1 to 2-Plus autonomous driving, TomTom’s map technology is consistently updated, providing a highly detailed representation of the road, and allowing self-driving vehicles to pinpoint the location of all road elements, including lane centerlines, traffic signs, and other objects, to make sense of their surroundings.

“We’re exhilarated to work with TomTom, widely recognized as the leading provider of precise and reliable mapping data,” said Michael Horani, Director of Advanced Development, Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, Inc. “Through this collaboration, we help accelerate innovation in automated driving and utilize industry-leading, up-to-date maps to improve the safety of autonomous vehicles.”

"With drivers relying more heavily on their cars, the role and scope of digital maps must go beyond turn-by-turn navigation and be built specifically for self-driving vehicles,” said Paul Hesen, VP Product Management, TomTom. “TomTom's map is designed for this purpose. Our highly detailed and accurate maps help vehicles plan a path and safely travel along any route, making all necessary adjustments, including changing lanes, taking exits, and merging into highway traffic, enabling further developments for Level 2-Plus to Level 5 autonomous driving.”

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