Lotus Robotics, the intelligent driving arm of Lotus Technology, and Here Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop an advanced Highway Navigation Pilot solution that delivers Level 2+ (L2+) automated driving functions.
The collaboration is focused on delivering a best-in-class L2+ ADAS solution integrating an advanced sensor perception stack and a high-precision map for advanced driving and safety functions including hands-off driving in certain situations. The solution is set for homologation in Europe in 2025. It will be utilized in upcoming Lotus vehicles and jointly offered to automakers across Europe.
Lotus Robotics will engineer the L2+ solution, powered by the Here HD Live Map. The Lotus Highway Navigation Pilot is a full stack hardware and software solution for Level 2+ automated driving functions, including automated lane changes, highway transitions and passing manoeuvres.
For automated driving systems, the Here HD Live Map delivers safety-enhancing data for functions like localization, prediction, and path planning, working seamlessly with various vehicle sensors. The HD map expands a vehicle’s ability to “see” and “plan” in scenarios where sensors alone may be limited. The Here HD Live Map improves the overall situational awareness by providing precise, forward-looking information about road network features and local regulations, anticipating potential issues ahead and giving drivers an improved sense of confidence.
In 2022, Lotus and Here combined forces to bring a customized advanced navigation solution based on Here Navigation to the groundbreaking fully electric hyper-SUV Lotus Eletre and hyper-GT Lotus Emeya. Building on this collaboration, Lotus Robotics and Here are now expanding their partnership to develop the Highway Navigation Pilot, advancing automated driving capabilities for both Lotus vehicles and other OEMs.
“We see a huge potential need for L2+ ADAS and NOA (Navigation on Autopilot) in highway scenarios for the global market in the near future. Lotus Robotics is dedicated to building an open ecosystem together with our strategic partners including HD map services provided by Here Technologies as a key element of our technical stack of automated driving. We are expecting a rapid rollout of this product portfolio combining Lotus Robotics Software and Here Map data across the globe,” says Dr Bo Li, chief executive officer at Lotus Robotics.
“We are excited to collaborate and co-innovate with Lotus Robotics in the field of automated driving. Fresh and accurate location data and technology are a critical cornerstone for any safe and efficient automated driving system. Together with Lotus Robotics, we look forward to paving the way for the future of autonomous vehicles,” says Jason Jameson, chief customer officer at Here Technologies.
Here’s unified mapping architecture, powered by the latest in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), delivers unmatched accuracy and detail to its high-quality mapping solutions. By leveraging the latest in AI and ML techniques, Here automates, updates, and enhances its IoT sensor data-derived mapmaking that processes hundreds of millions of kilometers of vehicle probe and sensor data every hour. The company’s commitment to innovation has made it a longtime, trusted industry partner. Here location data and software services are used in more than 222 million vehicles globally, and today more than 54 million vehicles rely on maps from Here for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving functions.
Images: AdobeStock
