Amazon AWS and HERE Ink $1 Billion, 10-Year Deal for AI Mapping Services.
Amazon (AMZN) has entered into a 10-year, $1 billion partnership with HERE, a company specializing in mapping and location technology.
This collaboration will enable HERE to leverage Amazon's AWS cloud infrastructure to assist automotive manufacturers in developing location-aware technologies for their vehicles. This alliance will empower HERE and AWS to equip automotive firms with the necessary resources to create software-defined vehicles (SDVs), as well as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving (AD) technologies. SDVs are vehicles that receive software updates via the cloud, enhancing various in-car systems and introducing new functionalities, akin to how an iPhone updates its features through new iOS versions.
For instance, Tesla (TSLA) provides numerous updates to its vehicles through internet connectivity, including a recent feature that allows users to monitor their vehicle’s charge and control locks via an Apple Watch app, along with Sirius XM integration. HERE and AWS have collaborated for the past decade, but this new agreement enhances their capabilities in the realms of ADAS and AD. A key component of this partnership is the introduction of SceneXtract software, which aims to replicate real-world environments for the development of ADAS and AD functionalities.
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According to the companies, SceneXtract simplifies the process for automakers to extract data from HERE’s HD Live Map, a cloud-based mapping service that delivers precise information regarding road lane configurations, local vehicle characteristics, geometry, and more. This functionality is expected to significantly reduce the time required to create real-world simulations that automakers can utilize to train their own ADAS and AD systems without the need for actual vehicles. “SceneXtract represents a pivotal advancement in the development of ADAS and AD, equipping developers with a robust tool to minimize the time, expense, and complexity associated with simulating real-world scenarios,” stated Remco Timmer, vice president of product management at HERE.
Through the integration of the HERE HD Live Map and the AI-driven search functionalities of AWS, SceneXtract facilitates a more effective and precise testing process. This advancement enables manufacturers to expedite the introduction of safer and more sophisticated autonomous driving technologies to the market. Furthermore, SceneXtract, in collaboration with HERE and AWS, is establishing an agreement to enhance HERE’s mapping and location data by leveraging AWS’s AI models and computational resources.
This enhanced mapping service will be made available to third-party developers via the Amazon AWS Marketplace, thereby aiding them in optimizing their supply chain operations. The partnership indicates that various companies are already leveraging this technology to obtain real-time updates on the shipment of critical products and to enhance the precision of delivery time estimates.
