Autonomous Trucks
Why High Definition Maps are Key to Autonomous TruckingEditor’s note: Written by Ethan Sorrelgreen, chief product officer at road-intelligence company CARMERA. Despite all the attention, a key component of autonomous truck technology has been somewhat overlooked—one that’s both time-tested and cutting-edge: maps. In a sense, an HD map becomes a fourth sensor that adds to the traditional complement of LiDAR, radar and cameras that are found on most autonomous vehicles. To help find the quickest path from point A to point B, most HD maps incorporate some form of traffic-flow data. More efficient route planning and more powerful driver assistance tools are concrete benefits that good HD map data can deliver to drivers and operators today.