Toyota Motor said its research arm has acquired U.S.-based Carmera, a provider of maps and data for driverless vehicles.
The purchase, through its subsidiary Woven Planet, underscores Toyota’s investment in autonomous technology.
Buying Carmera will give Toyota access to real-time, high-definition maps and crowdsourced inputs that are essential for autonomous vehicles to locate and navigate themselves.
Toyota Motor and Carmera have collaborated since 2018 on projects including technology that updates repainted lane markings on high-definition maps with accuracy.
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.
Woven Planet would look to develop and sell an open map platform to original equipment manufacturers and automakers who wanted accurate and fresh data.
Earlier this year, Toyota bought ride-hailing service Lyft’s self-driving technology unit for $550 million, and invested in Ridecell that provides automation for fleet businesses.
Toyota has other self-driving partnerships, including a joint venture with SoftBank Corp, stakes in China’s Didi Global and Singapore’s Grab, and is forming a consortium with General Motors, suppliers and chipmakers.
