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
Baidu has obtained a licence to develop high-definition navigation maps in China, as part of a drive 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 permit-holders are state-owned. The licence will allow Baidu to collect data for training self-driving vehicles through simulations. Baidu aims to add cloud services for AVs to its range of auto technology solutions, which include 5G infrastructure and processing chips for driverless cars. Other licence-holders include Alibaba's Amap, Huawei and Navinfo, which is backed by Tencent.