The industry is getting grips with high definition (HD) maps: the complicated assemblages of data which to the human eye may appear largely incomprehensible. For many in the industry, however, they represent an essential component of self-driving technology, not least for the positioning systems that will localise vehicles. These are maps for machines, with information on everything from curb heights to traffic lanes, and several tech players are throwing themselves into the mix to make them a reality.

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