Parkopedia joins the Navigation Data Standard Association to drive a globally standardized format for automotive-grade indoor navigation

Parkopedia, the global leader in connected vehicle services, has joined the Navigation Data Standard (NDS) Association, the worldwide standard for map data in automotive ecosystems.

The NDS Association aims to provide a leading worldwide map standard for automotive-grade use which can be widely used in the navigation industry and be globally adopted by leading suppliers of navigation maps, as well as being interoperable between navigation platforms and deliver ‘live’, up-to-date maps. To support the adoption of the navigation standard and reach its goals, NDS supports projects by providing tools and support, while constantly developing the technical standards involved and growing the association.

Parkopedia’s innovative data collection technology includes proprietary software, computer vision and AI to provide detailed parking information such as cost, opening hours, parking restrictions and EV charger status, for more than 70 million parking spaces in 89 countries. Staff, including PhD researchers, carry out modelling research to create the company’s dynamic service, which predicts real-time parking or charger availability at the driver’s estimated time of arrival, while an integrated payment platform allows drivers to pay for parking, as well as EV charging, fuelling and tolls, all via a single sign-on account through their vehicle’s infotainment screen.

Parkopedia also creates high-definition indoor parking maps and the associated technology to enable map-based end-to-end navigation within parking facilities and accurate indoor service locating, such as EV charging stations, as well as Automated Valet Parking (AVP) in the future – all without GPS requirements.

The navigation experience for drivers currently ends at the entrance of any indoor or underground parking facility due to the lack of GPS. Parkopedia’s indoor mapping service provides both the navigation and localisation data needed for connected and automated services, such as next-generation driver convenience, and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) services.

In 2020, Parkopedia successfully demonstrated AVP with HD maps of indoor car parks using vision-based localisation techniques based on artificial landmarks (fiducial markers). Now, the company uses natural landmarks to guide drivers to the most likely available parking spot, as well as minimising the overall journey time by optimising a multi-modal route and enabling navigation to ‘hidden’ EV charging stations and find-my-car applications.

Localisation of vehicles within indoor parking facilities also allows for more than just parking. Industries such as car-sharing and repurposing of sections of the car park for multi-usage, covering green last-mile delivery networks, ghost kitchens, and E-commerce applications, such as straight-to-trunk delivery, will thrive with the mass introduction of indoor localisation.

Martin Schleicher, Chairman of the NDS Association, said: “A global and well-adopted map data standard is essential to collaboratively drive innovation and share data securely and reliably. We are delighted that Parkopedia is now on board to achieve this important goal as we move towards the mobility of the future.”

Dr. Brian Holt, CTO at Parkopedia, added: “Every car journey begins and ends with parking. Parkopedia’s services can help minimize driving time, costs, hassle, and worry. At the same time, parking remains a critical element of in-car navigation systems, therefore, parking remains a top priority within the NDS Association. Unfortunately, the current navigation experience ends at the entrance to parking facilities, leaving drivers short of their intended end destination. Parkopedia’s HD maps will extend the navigation experience indoors, and provide the bridge to autonomous parking and its associated benefits in the future.”

Parkopedia’s HD maps will now comply with NDS global specifications, such as data model, storage format, interfaces and protocols, allowing for simple adoption by automakers for in-car navigation, ADAS and e-horizon safety systems, and, as a member of the NDS Association, Parkopedia can now make use of NDS tooling, and technologies in all upcoming parking and charging innovation projects.

About Parkopedia

Parkopedia is the leading connected car services provider used by millions of drivers and organizations such as Audi, Apple, BMW, Ford, Garmin, GM, Hyundai Kia, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Sygic, TomTom, Toyota, Volkswagen, and many others. Parkopedia helps drivers find and pay for parking, EV charging, fuelling and tolls in 15,000 cities across 89 countries. Parkopedia is also developing highly detailed parking maps and corresponding algorithms to help drivers and self-driving vehicles navigate to an open parking space indoors. Visit business.parkopedia.com for more information.

About NDS

NDS (Navigation Data Standard) is the worldwide standard for map data in automotive ecosystems. It offers a well-defined spec for map data supporting automated driving, ADAS, and navigation allowing flexibility for customized user experiences. The NDS specification covers data model, storage format, interfaces, and protocols. NDS.Live is the most recent specification ensuring interoperability of applications, maps, and services, one of the key objectives of NDS. It also offers flexibility in terms of data management and deployment. NDS.Live covers the specification for standard and HD map data models allowing a combination with services via APIs for automated driving, ADAS, and navigation.

NDS evolves with the market needs because it is designed for the automotive industry, by the automotive industry. NDS maps work worldwide covering North America, EMEA, and APAC – including China, South Korea, and Japan. NDS Association has currently 43 members: Automotive OEMs, system and solution vendors, as well as map data suppliers. A data standardization such as NDS creates broad consensus in the industry supported by the best engineers and experts.