HIGHLIGHTS:
- Google Maps is getting a new update.
- The company offers some AI-based advanced features and helps users in identifying speed limits.
- The company trains the AI models based on tons of different types of signs from all over the world.
Google for enhancing the user’s mapping experience by rolling out an update for Google Maps which has arrived with lots of new features. The company offers some AI-based advanced features and helps users in identifying speed limits. Here in this article, we are discussing the detailed information about this update.
Undoubtedly, speed limits play an important role in making roads safer for everyone, but in some scenarios, it can be hard for drivers to guess what the speed limit is. To solve this issue, Google Maps now displays speed limit information for streets around the world. This information will surely help drivers stay safe and also help automakers as they work to improve assisted driving capabilities in cars.
How AI Helps You Identify Speed Limits Around The World
Google mentioned that for mapping the world, it relies on data from various sources. The first important source is authoritative data from local governments which helps the company to know exactly what the default speed limits are for different types of roads while there is no signage.
To capture all the nuances within Google Maps, the company is using imagery and AI. Regarding to this Google stated:
“Our sophisticated AI models are designed to identify speed limit information from sources like our Street View imagery, as well as third-party imagery.”
The company trains the AI models based on tons of different types of signs from all over the world so no matter how much a sign looks, the AI model can still detect the speed limit. So once the AI model identifies a sign, the map will use GPS information from the image to match it to its exact geographic location so it will automatically know exactly when to change the speed limit displayed to the users on Google Maps based on where the users are on their route.
How Traffic Patterns Keep Speed Limits Updated
With this update, the imagery and data provide a solid foundation for the company’s model of real-world limits. However, speed limits are constantly changing, which makes it challenging to upgrade. Also, things such as construction, community input, and long-term traffic conditions may temporarily or even permanently change the speed limit.
Also to solve this issue, Google Maps is now able to analyze traffic trends to understand if there could be a speed limit change. In the scenario, if the users suspect the speed limit in an area has been upgraded, it cross-references the change with multiple sources such as official data from local governments and renovated Street View imagery available, it requests images of the particular stretch from third-party partners has images available, apart from this it also uses a combination of AI and help from company’s operations team to identify the sign in the images, extract the new speed limit information, and upgrade Google Maps.
How The Speed Limit Data Is Powering Future Driving Technologies
For automakers building cars with assisted driving or fully automated driving features this detail is also worthy. For various of these features to work, cars need to know the speed limit exactly similar to a human would. Being able to do this accurately and precisely is becoming an urgent issue for automakers, especially in scenarios where policies regulate assisted driving features. But to meet the requirements, the users must ensure that their vehicles must deliver exact speed limits of at least 90% on any drive.
Car’s built-in cameras and sensors will help car manufacturers in capturing any of the needy speed limits. But there are similar challenges that make speed limit signs hard to detect like inclement weather, physical barriers, and poor sign placement.
The company also mentioned that;
“Our data plays a big part in completing the picture for automakers. The ISA feature in Volvo’s EX30 just passed the EU’s GSR certification by using our speed limit data. This means that the EX30 can reliably display the legal speed limit, even when there aren’t clear signs on the road.”
In short, the update has brought convenient features that enhance the users’ driving as well mapping experience.
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