The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai and Here Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a long-term technology collaboration with the aim of creating the city’s first high-definition (HD) maps to support self-driving transportation.
Both parties plan to deploy newly available location technologies in the development of a data infrastructure to support safe, sustainable and efficient autonomous transportation. These efforts are in line with Dubai’s Smart City strategy and its self-driving transport roadmap, which ultimately aim to increase the quality of life for people in the Emirate.
HD maps are a prerequisite to moving Dubai closer to its goal of having 25% of public transport services using self-driving vehicles by 2030. Following initial planning and proof-of-concept phases, RTA and Here intend to target joint pilots using the new technologies as part of preparation to deploy self-driving vehicles at the Expo 2020 international technology showcase event, which Dubai will be hosting.
As part of their planned cooperation, RTA and Here intend to conduct a number of pilots aimed at enabling Here’s HD Live Map for Dubai’s public service vehicles. HD Live Map is a high-definition and self-updating map designed to provide autonomous vehicles (AVs) with accurate information about what is happening on the road.
An additional focal point is on using Here’s Open Location Platform (OLP) as a system to intelligently connect vehicles with each other (V2V), as well as the road infrastructure (V2I), such as traffic lights and sensors on roadways and sidewalks.
OLP enables multiple auto makers and other organizations and sources to transmit live, anonymized (V2X) sensor data that is then aggregated, enriched with high-precision location data, and transmitted back to vehicles in the form of near real-time, geo-targeted, contextually-relevant information about changing road conditions.
“Dubai recognizes the importance of new location technologies in making transportation more efficient, safer and sustainable for people,” noted Leon van de Pas, SVP for Internet of Things (IoT) at Here Technologies. “Driven by our vision of enabling an autonomous world for everyone, our team is excited and energized to help Dubai deliver on its ambitious plans for a driverless future.”
Abdulla Al Madani, CEO of RTA’s corporate technology support services sector, added, “RTA has always been a forerunner in harnessing the most sophisticated technologies through collaborating with the world’s best providers, taking into consideration the contribution to make Dubai the world’s smartest city and make its residents, tourists and visitors happy and satisfied.”
