Connected vehicle services provider Parkopedia has joined the Navigation Data Standard (NDS) Association, the worldwide standard for map data in automotive ecosystems.
The NDS Association aims to provide a leading worldwide map standard for automotive-grade use which can be widely used in the navigation industry and be globally adopted by leading suppliers of navigation maps, as well as being interoperable between navigation platforms and deliver ‘live’, up-to-date maps.
To support the adoption of the navigation standard and reach its goals, NDS supports projects by providing tools and support, while constantly developing the technical standards involved and growing the association.
Parkopedia’s innovative data collection technology includes proprietary software, computer vision and AI to provide detailed parking information such as cost, opening hours, parking restrictions and EV charger status, for more than 70 million parking spaces in 89 countries.
Staff, including PhD researchers, carry out modelling research to create the company’s dynamic service, which predicts real-time parking or charger availability at the driver’s estimated time of arrival, while an integrated payment platform allows drivers to pay for parking, as well as EV charging, fuelling and tolls, all via a single sign-on account through their vehicle’s infotainment screen.
Parkopedia also creates high-definition indoor parking maps and the associated technology to enable map-based end-to-end navigation within parking facilities and accurate indoor service locating, such as EV charging stations, as well as Automated Valet Parking (AVP) in the future – all without GPS requirements.
The navigation experience for drivers currently ends at the entrance of any indoor or underground parking facility due to the lack of GPS. Parkopedia’s indoor mapping service provides both the navigation and localisation data needed for connected and automated services, such as next-generation driver convenience, and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) services.
In 2020, Parkopedia successfully demonstrated AVP with HD maps of indoor car parks using vision-based localisation techniques based on artificial landmarks (fiducial markers). Now, the company uses natural landmarks to guide drivers to the most likely available parking spot, as well as minimising the overall journey time by optimising a multi-modal route and enabling navigation to ‘hidden’ EV charging stations and find-my-car applications.
Localisation of vehicles within indoor parking facilities also allows for more than just parking. Industries such as car-sharing and repurposing of sections of the car park for multi-usage, covering green last-mile delivery networks, ghost kitchens, and E-commerce applications, such as straight-to-trunk delivery, will thrive with the mass introduction of indoor localisation.
Martin Schleicher, chairman of the NDS Association, says: “A global and well-adopted map data standard is essential to collaboratively drive innovation and share data securely and reliably. We are delighted that Parkopedia is now on board to achieve this important goal as we move towards the mobility of the future.”
Dr. Brian Holt, CTO at Parkopedia, adds: “Every car journey begins and ends with parking. Parkopedia’s services can help minimize driving time, costs, hassle, and worry. At the same time, parking remains a critical element of in-car navigation systems, therefore, parking remains a top priority within the NDS Association. Unfortunately, the current navigation experience ends at the entrance to parking facilities, leaving drivers short of their intended end destination. Parkopedia’s HD maps will extend the navigation experience indoors, and provide the bridge to autonomous parking and its associated benefits in the future.”
Parkopedia’s HD maps will now comply with NDS global specifications, such as data model, storage format, interfaces and protocols, allowing for simple adoption by automakers for in-car navigation, ADAS and e-horizon safety systems, and, as a member of the NDS Association, Parkopedia can now make use of NDS tooling, and technologies in all upcoming parking and charging innovation projects.
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