TomTom and Volkswagen Group Research are joining forces for the development of Highly Automated Driving (HAD) systems. The two companies will be collaborating on a concept based on the ‘Navigation Data Standard’ (NDS) to deliver scalable and automated driving systems, that they say will not require expensive hardware.

The goal of the research co-operation is to jointly develop a digital map for automated driving, by combining TomTom’s expertise in map content and map making with Volkswagen’s know-how on automated driving.

Currently, maps used for navigation, including geometry, street names, and addressing, is not sufficient for the future needs of automated driving, according to TomTom. The car’s computer will require more accurate and up-to-date information about its location and environment, for example more detailed information lane markings and traffic lights.

[Image courtesy: Volkswagen Group Research]