Precise Navigation Data for the Automotive Test Track in Aldenhoven

LOGIBALL and CENALO provide an orthophoto and a digital database for the automotive test track in Aldenhoven, Germany. The Institute for Cybernetics (Institut für Regelungstechnik) and the Institute for Motor Vehicles (Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge) at the RWTH Aachen University are cooperation partners of the Ford research center in Aachen where they use data to support various tests on the chassis, body, motor, electronics as well as driver assistance.

Whether the development is in the area of functionality, electronics or innovative driver assistance and safety systems: research and development teams who work in these fields require highly precise and above all current navigation data. The RWTH Aachen University commissioned their partners LOGIBALL, provider of navigation maps and solutions, and CENALO to develop highly precise navigation data for the automotive test area in Aldenhoven, Germany. RWTH has been a partner of the Ford research center in Aachen for many years and uses the test area in Aldenhoven among others for developing and testing new, Galileo-based driver assistance systems.

Since a digital copy of the area was non-existent, LOGIBALL and CENALO first produced a flattened mosaik, georeferenzed orthophoto. Formed from highly measured control points, the aerial photo formed the basis for the data digitization. The partners also used a flight robot. An efficient and very economical piece of equipment as the flight robot is able to take aerial photos from 2 or more centimeters off the ground. In view of the technical requirements, LOGIBALL enhanced the data with relevant attributes such as curve geometry or angle of inclination, delivered the data in the desired .psf file and provided its client with a high precisely navigation data map which was not previously available.

LOGIBALL recently expanded its competency range to include map engineering services for research and development departments of the automobile industry. Map engineering for the areas of driver assistance systems, accident avoidance, PAYD, telematics, autonomous driving, etc. LOGIBALL provides the know-how and experience of developing individually enhanced digital maps for appropriate test scenarios which are not found in standard navigation maps. In order to do this, LOGIBALL illustrates new test areas and/or real infield test tracks according to new system requirements.

LOGIBALL's mobile laboratory equipped with efficient measuring and processing technology provides the opportunity to directly collect data and transform it into a high precision navigation map. In the past, data collection and transformation were two seperate working areas; now compiled into one process. In addition, LOGIBALL applies an established software: Global Navigation Data Suite (GND SUITE). This software is not fixed on one data format, but is able to collect and quality assure various formats. The same is valid for data export. Exported as GDF, Shape, RDF/SIF, NDS or ADASIS DATA SQL, they are compatible for each compiling format and thus for most on-board systems.