NextMAP website
Objectives
Current digital map databases have been defined and developed within European R&D projects for vehicle navigation systems, one of the most successful telematics markets. The Geographic Data Files (GDF) standard - a major output of these EC-funded projects - has been an essential precondition for the production of digital map databases.
NextMAP will define, prototype, and evaluate the content of digital map databases required for future in-vehicle ITS applications - in particular Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). ADAS applications support the driver in driving safely, comfortably and economically and include information, warning and control systems. NextMAP will also propose and submit to the ISO standardisation an extension to GDF reflecting the requirements of these applications. Enhanced map databases are of great importance for all future map-based driver support systems. Pure information systems as well as intervening systems are under research today.
The key objectives of NextMAP are to:
- identify new map database requirements on the basis of functional requirements for anticipated in-vehicle ITS applications and focus on ADAS applications
- test and evaluate the technical and economical feasibility of these new maps
- formulate the map database requirements as extensions to the GDF standard and formulate cost consequences involved when adding the requirements on existing map databases. Consequences will be formulated in relation to the creation costs of a standard database
Approach
A two-year project (January 2000 - December 2001), NextMAP consists of partners including the two major European map providers and five car manufacturers. A close co-operation and partnership between these two industries will be the key to NextMAP’s success. Car manufacturers will set the requirements needed for their applications that may have an impact on digital map taking into account a mid- to long-term timeframe (e.g. ten years). Map providers will bring their expertise in evaluating these requirements and their feasibility with respect to data capturing and data production techniques, as well as the respective cost impact on their future business.
NextMAP’s key activities:
- Determine preliminary functional requirements for anticipated Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) applications and enhanced map database requirements, and to establish a roadmap indicating which information components are required with what accuracy, when, and for what type of applications
- Identify the source of this extended data and determine the viability of new data capturing techniques.
- Define and set up five test sites. For the sites in Stuttgart (DaimlerChrysler) and Coventry (Jaguar), enhanced maps will be digitised and made available to the car manufacturers. Test sites in Paris (Renault) and Turin (C.R.F.) will use the IN-ARTE project map data which will be converted into the NextMAP format. Finally, a test site in Munich will be defined and built by BMW without project resources.
- Prepare five test vehicles (one per car manufacturer) with the hardware and software necessary to run selected test applications.
NextMAP will then perform the tests in order to evaluate and investigate new data capturing techniques and produce the enhanced map data. This will finally result in a possible overall technical and economical assessment of enhanced map databases. The requirements definition, map digitisation and testing phases will be iterative in order to fine-tune ADAS requirements and reflect economic viability. Beside liaison and dissemination activities, NextMAP will develop and propose an extension to GDF. This will be given as input to the ISO standardisation at the end of the project.
Consortium
| Map providers | |
| Navigation Technologies (now Navteq) |  |
| Tele Atlas |  |
| Car manufacturers | |
| BMW |  |
| CRF (Fiat Research Centre) |  |
| DaimlerChrysler |  |
| Jaguar | |
| Renault |  |
| Project manager | |
| ERTICO |  |
Public documents
| 15 December 2000: NextMAP Poster |  2_067v12.zip (213 KB) |
| 7 January 2001: Article in ITS2001 magazine | 2_084v30.zip (131 KB) |
| 17 September 2002: Paper presented at e-Safety Congress 2002 in Lyon | 2_164v21.zip (272 KB) |
| D1 - Final report | 2_D1.zip (343 KB) |
| D2.2 - Final enhanced map database requirements | 2_d22p.zip (1001 KB) |
| D2.3 - GDF extension format for transport telematic applications | 2_d23.zip (809 KB) |
| D3.1 - Classification of data capturing / production techniques | 2_d31.zip (2977 KB) |
| D3.3 - Test map realisation and results | 2_d33p.zip (969 KB) |
| D5.2 - Overall technical and economical assessment | 2_d52p.zip (3185 KB) |
| D6.1 - Project presentation | 2_d61.zip (153 KB) |
| D6.3 - Liaison and Dissemination activities | 2_D63.zip (132 KB) |
| TIP - Technology Implementation Plan | 2_TIP.zip (427 KB) |
Milestones
| December 2001 | Final evaluation results with overall technical and economical assessment extension to GDF submitted to the ISO standardisation (ISO TC204/SWG3.3) |
| October 2001 | Final requirements for enhanced map databases |
| May 2001 | Five test vehicles ready for first tests with enhanced map databases on each test site |
| February 2001 | Two test map databases and IN-ARTE map data prepared to be used in the tests |
| October 2000 | Evaluation plan |
| June 2000 | Preliminary requirements for enhanced map database and classification of data capturing techniques |