Mobileye is using its sensors to create detailed maps of the UK

Mobileye, the Israeli-based automotive sensor company acquired by Intel in 2017, is leveraging the huge amounts of data it can collect to help build precise maps of the U.K.’s roads and infrastructure.

The company announced at CES 2019 that it has reached an agreement with Ordnance Survey to help the U.K. mapping agency bring high-precision location data to businesses in the country. Under the agreement, Mobileye’s sensors will be retrofitted onto Ordnance’s utility fleets to collect volumes of location data on road networks and roadside infrastructure. The collected data is then cross-referenced with existing geospatial data sets to develop accurate maps of Britain’s roads and surrounding areas.

That kind of information could be useful to utilities to provide precise locations of manhole covers and other assets, Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua told TechCrunch in a recent interview. As a result, companies can better plan and manage maintenance needs.

Mobileye and Ordnance Survey piloted the concept in 2018. A number of Ordnance Survey vehicles have also been fitted with Mobileye 8 Connect technology to collect data on the roads of Britain. The pilots are delivering a new level of roadside data that, through the partnership, will benefit customers across the many sectors, including utilities, infrastructure and telecommunications, according to Mobileye.

At first glance, this looks like a shift for Mobileye. But it’s closely linked to Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua’s vision for the company and future cities.

“Using maps to improve operations between businesses and cities will help bring us closer to the realization of smart cities and safer roads,” Shashua said. 

The deal demonstrates the utility of mapping innovation beyond future autonomous vehicles, the company said.

“We envisage this new rich data to be key to how vehicles, infrastructure, people and more will communicate in the digital age,” Ordnance Survey CEO Neil Ackroyd said in a statement.