The Woven Alpha team claims it will develop AMP to become the most globally comprehensive road and lane network HD map platform, enabling high-precision localization support to automated vehicles.
Woven Planet, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, has announced the acquisition of CARMERA, a U.S.-based spatial AI company, which studies bringing next-gen road intelligence to automated mobility for mass production. This is the second major deal for Woven Planet in North America, following the April 2021 announcement to acquire Level 5, the self-driving division of Lyft. (Toyota’s Woven Capital Invests in Ridecell for Mobility Services)
If the deal is closed, the CARMERA team will report into the Automated Mapping Platform (“AMP”) organization of Woven Alpha. Woven Alpha explores new strategic areas for business expansion and incubates several projects such as Woven City and Arene, which is Woven Planet’s open software platform. AMP is a connected crowd-sourced software platform that helps the creation, development and distribution of high-definition maps―a key aspect of so-called smart and safe automated mobility.
Click to Enlarge.
An earlier partnership between Woven Planet – under its predecessor organization Toyota Research institute – Advanced Development, Inc. – and CARMERA in Tokyo, Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan, is behind this deal. Woven Planet and CARMERA participated in collaborative projects in 2018, 2019 and 2020, which they claim proved the companies can successfully develop and update HD maps from commodity, device-agnostic sources, such as commercially available dashboard-mounted cameras.
The Woven Alpha team claims it will develop AMP to become the most globally comprehensive road and lane network HD map platform, enabling high-precision localization support to automated vehicles. The acquisition of CARMERA could speed AMP’s shift from the R&D stage to the next phase of commercialization by bolstering the platform’s engineering team with top experts in the development of HD maps. In addition, it will provide access to CARMERA’s map update, change management and IoT sensing technology.
Together, the teams will use CARMERA’s ability to successfully update HD maps from crowdsourced, camera-based inputs – a significantly cheaper and faster approach than traditional methods. This will strengthen AMP’s ability to serve a comprehensive set of road classes and features, reflecting changes in lane markings, traffic signals, signs in near real-time, and support its future multi-regional commercial launch.
CARMERA will join Woven Planet Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary, expanding the company’s footprint beyond its Tokyo headquarters by adding New York and Seattle offices to its planned offices in Silicon Valley and London.
Automated Mapping – Toyota to Buy CARMERA
The Woven Alpha team claims it will develop AMP to become the most globally comprehensive road and lane network HD map platform, enabling high-precision localization support to automated vehicles.
Woven Planet, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, has announced the acquisition of CARMERA, a U.S.-based spatial AI company, which studies bringing next-gen road intelligence to automated mobility for mass production. This is the second major deal for Woven Planet in North America, following the April 2021 announcement to acquire Level 5, the self-driving division of Lyft. (Toyota’s Woven Capital Invests in Ridecell for Mobility Services)
If the deal is closed, the CARMERA team will report into the Automated Mapping Platform (“AMP”) organization of Woven Alpha. Woven Alpha explores new strategic areas for business expansion and incubates several projects such as Woven City and Arene, which is Woven Planet’s open software platform. AMP is a connected crowd-sourced software platform that helps the creation, development and distribution of high-definition maps―a key aspect of so-called smart and safe automated mobility.
Click to Enlarge.
An earlier partnership between Woven Planet – under its predecessor organization Toyota Research institute – Advanced Development, Inc. – and CARMERA in Tokyo, Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan, is behind this deal. Woven Planet and CARMERA participated in collaborative projects in 2018, 2019 and 2020, which they claim proved the companies can successfully develop and update HD maps from commodity, device-agnostic sources, such as commercially available dashboard-mounted cameras.
The Woven Alpha team claims it will develop AMP to become the most globally comprehensive road and lane network HD map platform, enabling high-precision localization support to automated vehicles. The acquisition of CARMERA could speed AMP’s shift from the R&D stage to the next phase of commercialization by bolstering the platform’s engineering team with top experts in the development of HD maps. In addition, it will provide access to CARMERA’s map update, change management and IoT sensing technology.
Together, the teams will use CARMERA’s ability to successfully update HD maps from crowdsourced, camera-based inputs – a significantly cheaper and faster approach than traditional methods. This will strengthen AMP’s ability to serve a comprehensive set of road classes and features, reflecting changes in lane markings, traffic signals, signs in near real-time, and support its future multi-regional commercial launch.
CARMERA will join Woven Planet Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary, expanding the company’s footprint beyond its Tokyo headquarters by adding New York and Seattle offices to its planned offices in Silicon Valley and London.