Bending the Curve of HD Maps Production for Autonomous Vehicle Applications in Taiwan

Abstract

Mapping technologies have improved over time, and autonomous driving techniques have advanced substantially over recent decades. High-definition (HD) maps are key for autonomous driving because of their accurate and rich interpretations of road scenes. HD maps provide information about road features, such as lane lines, centerlines, traffic signs, and traffic lights, to help autonomous vehicles navigate safely. HD maps have three major challenges: the standardization of the format of HD maps, conversion between map formats, and lack of techniques for automated HD map generation. These issues influence the costs of HD maps. Therefore, this study proposes strategies to overcome these challenges as well as control the cost with the support of the Ministry of the Interior in Taiwan. We established relevant HD map standards and guidelines to standardize the HD map production procedure. Additionally, we contribute to developing semi-automated HD map production tool to enhance the efficiency of HD map production. Another contribution is to develop HD map format conversion tool to satisfy the map requirement for different end-user. This project not only promotes the development of the Taiwanese autonomous driving industry but also increases its international competitiveness.

Semi-automated approach towards efficient HD Maps generation and verification with Lanelet2 formats

“…Despite this, subsequent stages such as map construction, digitization, and additional mapping tasks largely remain manual processes that consume considerable time and manpower (Mi et al, 2021). Consequently, cost reduction in HD Maps production emerges as an essential topic in the furtherance of autonomous vehicle technology (Chiang et al, 2022).…”

Verification and validation procedure for high-definition maps in Taiwan

“…com) offers HD maps with multiple layers, which includes road model, lane model, and localization model with 20 relative accuracy (Liu et al, 2020). As for HD maps in Asian countries such as Japan and Korea require horizontal and vertical accuracy of 25 and 35 cm, respectively (Chiang et al, 2022). In Taiwan, HD maps require horizontal and vertical accuracy of 20 and 30 cm, respectively (HD maps operation guideline v2, 2019).…”