HERE rallies car industry to agree on common data format

HERE recently brought together leaders from 16 carmakers and suppliers at its Berlin campus to discuss the creation of a universal data format for how information from vehicles is transmitted to a location cloud.

Participants agreed that a common standard is necessary, and discussed the technical issues and next steps to make it a reality.

HERE released its Sensor Ingestion Interface Specification in June. It’s a proposed open standard for car sensor data that will allow vehicles to share information they sense or create with the cloud and with other vehicles on the road.

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It’s a small but vital step along the path to creating a shared information network for safer roads.

If a car around the next corner hits the brakes because there’s an obstruction, that information could be used to signal the following drivers to slow down ahead of time, resulting in smoother, more efficient journeys and a lower risk of accidents.

But that can only work if all cars can speak and understand the same language. As Dietmar Rabel, head of product management for the automated driving programme at HERE, says, “[it] requires deep industrywide collaboration.”

The cooperation with Continental

Ronald Hain, head of the back-end development team at Continental, agrees:

“A common specification would lead to more available data, improved data quality and would enable features that are not currently possible.”

“Historically, every tier one manufacturer has had its own strategy and interface. What we need is standards, standards, standards. They are the key for success for every company in the industry.”

Creating open standards for sensor information has efficiency benefits for carmakers and suppliers, too.

“Within our eHorizon project, we recently worked with HERE to provide drivers with information about variable speed limits,” says Ronald. “The information on those limits was provided by HERE.”

“With open data standards, we could replicate those capabilities for different vehicle manufacturers worldwide — much more easily.”

The next stage will be a formal, cross-industry working group on sensor ingestion standards that we intend to establish in the coming weeks.

How do you think information from other cars on the road could most help you, as a driver?

Image credits: HERE and Continental