Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Intel and HERE Work on HD Mapping with Centimeter Precision

Intel will acquire a 15 percent ownership stake in HERE, a developer of digital maps and location-based services based in the Netherlands. HERE is a private company, which is indirectly wholly owned by AUDI AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG.

Intel and HERE will collaborate on the research and development of a highly scalable proof-of-concept architecture that supports real-time updates of high definition (HD) maps for highly and fully automated driving. Additionally, the two companies plan to jointly explore strategic opportunities that result from enriching edge-computing devices with location data.

Intel will also work with AUDI AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG to test the architecture. Intel and HERE envision making the architecture broadly available across the automotive industry as a seamlessly integrated offering that simplifies and shortens time of development for automakers.

The companies said future HD mapping will support vehicle localization to within centimeters, enabling vehicles precisely position themselves on the roadway to enable reliable autonomous driving functionality.

“Cars are rapidly becoming some of the world’s most intelligent, connected devices,” said Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO. “We look forward to working with HERE and its automotive partners to deliver an important technology foundation for smart and connected cars of the future.”

“A real-time, self-healing and high-definition representation of the physical world is critical for autonomous driving, and achieving this will require significantly more powerful and capable in-vehicle compute platforms,” said Edzard Overbeek, HERE CEO. “As a premier silicon provider, Intel can help accelerate HERE’s ambitions in this area by supporting the creation of a universal, always up-to-date digital location platform that spans the vehicle, the cloud and everything else connected.”

http://www.intel.com

Molex takes 20% Stake in Excelfore for Smart Vehicles

Molex has acquired a 20% equity stake in Excelfore, a start-up based in Silicon Valley developing a cloud platform and connectivity applications for intelligent transportation. Molex’s investment is part of a Series A round of funding in Excelfore, which is geadquartered in Fremont, CA with offices in China, Germany, India, and Japan,

Excelfore specializes in middleware solutions for smart mobility networks that support next-generation smart, autonomous and learning vehicles, fleets and associated infrastructure. Excelfore automotive software products enable communication between automotive components and cloud-based servers, automotive fleet monitoring, and provision of Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) and Software Over the Air (SOTA) updates.

“Smart mobility starts with innovative people and solutions to make intelligent vehicle designs a reality,” according to Bill Fitzer, vice president and general manager of the Molex Connected Mobility Solutions Business Unit. “Together, Molex and Excelfore will provide complete intelligent vehicle systems integrating the hardware, software, and technical services needed to advance adoption of next-generation connected platforms in today’s vehicles.”

http://www.excelfore.com
http://www.molex.com