Tutorial on High-Definition Map Generation for Automated Driving in Urban Environments

Abstract

High-definition (HD) mapping is a promising approach to realize highly automated driving (AD). Although HD maps can be applied to all levels of autonomy, their use is particularly beneficial for autonomy levels 4 or higher. HD maps enable AD systems to see beyond the field of view of conventional sensors, thereby providing accurate and detailed information regarding a driving environment. An HD map is typically separated into a pointcloud map for localization and a vector map for path planning. In this paper, we introduce two separate but successive HD map generation workflows. Of the several stages involved, the registration and mapping processes are essential for creating the pointcloud and vector maps, respectively. To facilitate the readers’ understanding, the processes of these two stages have been recorded and uploaded online. HD maps are typically generated using open-source software (OSS) tools. CloudCompare and ASSURE, as representative tools, are used in this study. The generated HD maps are validated with localization and path-planning modules in Autoware, which is also an OSS stack for AD systems. The generated HD maps enable environmental-monitoring vehicles to successfully operate at level 4 autonomy.