Location technology specialist TomTom (TOM2) will collaborate with DENSO on its software platform for autonomous vehicles. TomTom’s High Definition (HD) Map will work in combination with DENSO in-vehicle sensors such as cameras and radars to power the localization, perception and path planning functions for a complete autonomous driving system.

This collaboration will allow DENSO to offer a system targeting Level 2 automation for highways and major urban roads, by leveraging the end-to-end mapping system developed together with TomTom. Combining DENSO’s sensors with TomTom HD Maps will result in a system that is more advanced, more reliable and safer, the partners said. TomTom and DENSO have teams working together in Japan.

As part of this agreement, DENSO will provide processed sensor data to TomTom’s end-to-end mapping system for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), updating TomTom’s HD Map on the fly.

This will be achieved by generating crowdsourced map updates called Roadagrams which are used to ensure the HD Map reflects the reality of the road. Combined with sensor data from survey vehicles, TomTom can guarantee an accurate global HD Map. AutoStream—TomTom’s map delivery system—then delivers the latest map data to the vehicles on demand.

Tom Tom and Delphi. TomTom also announced a collaboration with Delphi Technologies to help powertrains become predictive. The vehicle’s powertrain control system will be enriched with TomTom’s maps so that it knows what’s up ahead. Map data such as speed limits and road gradient combine to control a vehicle’s speed, reducing energy consumption and helping to improve safety.