Amazon and HERE Partner in $1 Billion Deal to Advance Autonomous Driving and Mapping Technology
Amazon (AMZN) and mapping technology company HERE have entered a 10-year, $1 billion partnership to leverage Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure for advancing location-sensitive technologies in the automotive industry. This collaboration aims to support automakers in developing software-defined vehicles (SDVs), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and autonomous driving (AD) capabilities.
SDVs are vehicles that receive software updates via the cloud to enhance in-car systems, similar to how smartphones like iPhones gain new features through iOS updates. For instance, Tesla (TSLA) regularly provides over-the-air updates to its vehicles, such as a recent Apple Watch app for vehicle charge monitoring, lock control, and Sirius XM support.
Although HERE and AWS have collaborated for the past decade, this new agreement focuses on enhancing ADAS and AD functionalities. A key aspect of the partnership is the introduction of SceneXtract, a software designed to recreate real-world environments for developing ADAS and AD features. SceneXtract streamlines the process of extracting data from HERE’s HD Live Map, a cloud-based mapping service that offers precise details about road features, lane information, and geometry.
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The companies highlight that SceneXtract will significantly reduce the time and cost required to create real-world simulations, enabling automakers to train their ADAS and AD systems without relying on physical vehicles. According to Remco Timmer, HERE’s vice president of product management, SceneXtract represents a major step forward in the development of advanced driving technologies. By combining HERE’s HD Live Map with AWS’s AI-powered tools, the software enhances testing efficiency, helping manufacturers bring safer autonomous driving solutions to market more quickly.
Beyond SceneXtract, the agreement includes plans to expand HERE’s mapping and location services by utilizing AWS’s AI capabilities and offering these tools via the AWS Marketplace. This will allow third-party developers to enhance their own supply chain solutions, including real-time product tracking and improved delivery accuracy.
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