HERE and Baidu Maps partner on global vehicle navigation

Automotive navigation systems are evolving toward tightly integrated software stacks that combine mapping, sensing, and predictive data to support assisted and automated driving. In this context, HERE Technologies has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with Baidu Maps to co-develop global navigation and intelligent driving map solutions for automakers.

Combining mapping layers with navigation engines
The collaboration brings together HERE’s AI-based live map and global location services with Baidu Maps’ navigation engine and development capabilities. The combined system is structured to support applications such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), and automated driving functions within a unified automotive data ecosystem.

HERE contributes Dynamic Map Content and Connected Vehicle Service APIs, providing continuously updated global map layers. These include road attributes, speed limits, and environmental data required for machine-readable vehicle systems. Baidu Maps is responsible for developing a navigation engine optimized for global deployment, with a specific focus on lane-level navigation.

This integration enables harmonized map ingestion and processing across regions, allowing automakers—particularly those based in China—to deploy a single navigation framework across domestic and international markets.

Lane-level precision and positioning
A central component of the joint system is lane-level navigation, which requires high-resolution mapping and accurate vehicle positioning. The solution combines HERE’s live map updates with Baidu’s navigation stack to deliver full lane-level coverage, including precise positioning and “Surround Reality” visualization.

Such capabilities support driver guidance in complex road environments, including multi-lane highways, urban intersections, and merging zones. Lane-level accuracy is also a prerequisite for higher levels of driving automation, where vehicles rely on detailed map data for path planning and decision-making.

Predictive signal timing and traffic intelligence
The collaboration also extends to predictive traffic signal timing, using HERE’s global probe data and cloud-based APIs alongside Baidu’s large-scale traffic data processing algorithms.

This system analyzes historical and real-time traffic signal patterns to estimate signal phase changes. The resulting output enables vehicles to adjust speed profiles in advance of intersections, reducing abrupt braking and supporting smoother driving behavior.

The approach relies on large datasets from connected vehicles and infrastructure, combined with algorithmic modeling of traffic cycles. In practical use, this can reduce unnecessary stops and contribute to improved traffic flow efficiency.

Integration of ADAS and ISA functions
The joint solution incorporates ADAS-ready map data and ISA capabilities into a single platform. Baidu Maps integrates HERE’s lane-level attributes, speed-limit data, and predictive road features to generate inputs required for assisted driving systems.

These inputs include speed advisories, road geometry, and contextual driving information, which are used by vehicle control systems to support functions such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and navigation-assisted driving. The integration also supports Navigation on Autopilot (NOA)-type features, where navigation and driving assistance operate in coordination.

By combining navigation and ADAS data streams, the system reduces fragmentation between vehicle subsystems and supports compliance with regional safety and regulatory requirements.

AI-driven enhancements in the vehicle cockpit
The agreement also includes exploration of AI-based features aimed at improving the in-vehicle user experience. This includes the use of generative AI and contextual mobility intelligence to process real-time and historical driving data.

Potential applications include adaptive route guidance, proactive driver alerts based on traffic patterns, and enhanced voice assistant functionality aligned with real-world driving conditions. These features rely on continuous data exchange between cloud-based systems and in-vehicle platforms within a digital supply chain for mobility data.

Scope for global deployment
The combined offering is structured as an end-to-end platform covering navigation, ADAS, and intelligent driving functions. Its architecture supports scalability across regions, enabling automakers to standardize software deployment while adapting to local regulatory and infrastructure conditions.

The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for joint development, with a focus on integrating mapping, navigation, and AI capabilities into a single system designed for global automotive applications.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

www.here.com