VW, Mobileye Aim to Swarm Self-Driving Cars with Data

Volkswagen AG and Israel’s Mobileye NV next year plan to begin implementing what they hope becomes a navigation standard for self-driving cars.

Under the program, future VW models will be equipped with a camera-based map and localization technology developed by Mobileye. Called Road Experience Management (REM), the system uses so-called swarm-data collected from many vehicles to automatically create precise, high-definition maps.

Equipped with four cameras, VW vehicles will identify lane markings and other road and traffic information via optical sensor systems from Mobileye. The real-time data will be sent in a compressed format to so-called cloud computers to refine maps with enhanced localization capability, according to the two companies. Such information is considered to be a key enabler for fully autonomous vehicles.

In addition to the millions of VW models on the road, the partners aim to create a de facto industry standard that other carmakers and suppliers use to update maps. This would allow motorists to quickly access the latest information about traffic and road conditions, local businesses and parking availability, the companies say.