Huawei obtained a permit last Friday allowing the tech giant to draw up high-definition navigation maps in China, a move that will aid the development of simulation software for autonomous vehicles. Why it matters: The securement of mapping licenses is a key step for Chinese self-driving players who want to collect and reserve such data for training driverless vehicles. Details: The country’s natural resources ministry granted the permit on Friday which removes barriers for Huawei, a key Tier 1 supplier for future smart connected vehicles. Context: Simulation, in which virtual road networks are built using sensor data that cars collect in the real world, has been a useful tool to help in the development and training of autonomous vehicles. Jill Shen is Shanghai-based technology reporter. She covers Chinese mobility, autonomous vehicles, and electric vehicles. Connect with her via e-mail: jill.shen@technode.com More by Jill Shen
Huawei has obtained a licence to develop high - definition navigation maps in China , as part of a plan to advance its software for AVs . The company is one of just a handful of entities granted highly - protected mapping permits by Chinese authorities . Most of the licence - holders are state - owned . The licence will enable Huawei to collect data for training self - driving vehicles through simulations . Huawei intends to add cloud services for AVs to its range of auto technology solutions , which include 5 G infrastructure and processing chips for driverless cars . Other licence - holders include Alibaba 's map , Baidu and Navinfo , which is backed by Tencent .