Toyota’s research arm Woven Planet has acquired U.S.-based Carmera, a provider of maps and data for autonomous vehicles, to further develop its driverless technology.
The purchase, for an undisclosed sum, will give the Japanese car manufacturers access to real-time high-definition maps and crowdsourced inputs which are essential for autonomous vehicles to locate and navigate themselves, the companies said in a statement.
Having collaborated since 2018, the companies have previously worked together on technology that updates repainted lane markings on high-definition maps with accuracy.
With the acquisition, Woven Planet aims to develop and sell an open map platform to original equipment manufacturers and automakers who want accurate and fresh data.
“With Carmera, we’re just accelerating. We’ll continue to accelerate … and look for strategic partnerships or acquisitions,” Woven Planet chief executive James Kuffner told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday 14 July.
He added he wanted to “double or quadruple” the size of Woven Planet in the next couple of years via organic growth and acquisitions.
Woven Planet was established in January to invest in and develop mobility with artificial intelligence. It is building a prototype “city of the future” called Woven City at the base of Mount Fuji, powered by hydrogen fuel cells that would be a laboratory for autonomous cars.
