Navigation specialist TomTom has launched a new product aimed at OEMs, RoadCheck, which it says enables car makers to decide where it is safe for drivers to activate their vehicles’ automated driving functions.
The company says that safe automated driving is not always possible during periods of adverse weather, in tunnels, and in changing environments, such as during roadworks. It claims RoadCheck enables manufacturers to use its high definition (HD) map data to define the operational design domain (ODD) of their vehicles’ automated driving functions, making it possible to manage where these functions can be used safely.
Willem Strijbosch, head of autonomous driving at TomTom, explained that the product could increase the safety of ADAS and AD systems: “By enabling car makers to control where automated driving functions can be activated, TomTom is addressing a critical industry challenge that has been highlighted by our partners and customers. With the addition of RoadCheck, we have become the first to offer car makers a complete mapping service for safe automated driving.”
According to the company, the new system will be deployed in a production model by a leading global car maker in 2021, starting in the USA.