Atlatec GmbH and Applus+ IDIADA join forces on development and testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads

To cover the imminent need for HD maps in test drives on public roads, Atlatec GmbH and Applus+ IDIADA agreed to team up for the next 2 years. This alliance is expected to be of mutual benefit in strengthening the services provided by both companies and expanding their activities in the field of connected and automated vehicles. As a first step in their collaboration, both companies agreed to collect raw sensor data of various routes in the Catalonia region, and to create a sample HD map for one of those routes (similar to the example shown in image 1).

Joan Carbó, Director, Chassis & Active Safety commented that: “The HD map creation capabilities of Atlatec GmbH, complement Applus+ IDIADA’s engineering and testing services for the development of highly automated vehicles for our international clients.”

A strategic analysis performed by Applus+ IDIADA (within the framework of Catalonia Living Lab), resulted in a series of objectives for testing of highly connected and automated vehicles on public roads. These objectives respond to the expectations of key stakeholders in the international automotive sector. As can be observed in image 2, these objectives include fitting test vehicles and public roads with dedicated test equipment [2, 3], a centralized control room [1], professional test drivers [4] and supplying HD maps of any public road worldwide [5].

About Applus+ IDIADA

With over 25 years of history, Applus+ IDIADA is a leading engineering company providing design, testing, engineering and homologation services to the automotive industry worldwide. Applus+ IDIADA counts with more than 2,500 engineers specialized in vehicle development drawn from over 25 different countries. The headquarters, composed by a 360-hectares main technical center which includes its own proving ground and a comprehensive set of laboratories, is located near Barcelona, Spain. The company also has an international network of subsidiaries and branch offices in 24 countries which ensures that their clients receive fast and customized services.

About Atlatec GmbH

Atlatec GmbH builds high fidelity 3D maps by scanning roads with their proprietary map-building technology. These maps are used by carmakers and automotive suppliers for autonomous driving by providing a rich representation of the environment. In addition, Atlatec GmbH offers a map-relative real-time localization. With it the information of the map can be fully leveraged during self-driving. Atlatec GmbH maps can also be used as content in ADAS simulations.