NAVTEQ® Maps Power Audi Connected Car Technology Research

CHICAGO, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, is joining with Audi and three leading U.S. universities to further the Audi Urban Intelligent Assist (AUIA) project.  The goal of the project is to develop connected car technologies that reduce congestion, improve safety and make driving less stressful in increasingly chaotic and rapidly growing urban centers around the world.  The universities will be supplied with NAVTEQ® Map data to support their pursuit of developing state of the art innovations and solutions for the connected car.

NAVTEQ Maps include data which can specifically support Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), such as Geometry, Slope and Height.  Relying on these ADAS capabilities, future Audi models could be able to help drivers better detect and avoid dangerous situations.  The universities will also have access to NAVTEQ Map data such as Traffic Patterns™, Speed Limits, Enhanced 3D City Models, Enhanced Junction Views and POIs.  This broad offering supports Audi's vision of developing models that will know preferred destinations, routes the motorist's have most commonly traveled and the time needed to reach appointments.  The Audi Urban Intelligent Assist project will run through 2013.

"NAVTEQ Maps were a clear choice to power the Audi Urban Intelligent Assist research initiative," said Mario Tippelhofer, Electronics Research Laboratory.  "The automotive grade quality of the data, as well as their commitment to development and innovation in the automotive industry, demonstrates why they are a trusted and valued supplier."

To stay at the forefront of in-vehicle technology, Audi is engaging the best universities to solve tomorrow's challenges.  The Audi Urban Intelligent Assist project, a research initiative launched by Audi together with its Electronics Research Laboratory in Silicon Valley and three top U.S. universities – the University of Southern California, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at San Diego - will develop technologies to take the connected car, driver assistance and infrastructure electronics to the next level.  Audi envisions that future connected Audi vehicles will take care of all the things that make driving in the city tedious and dangerous, so that motorists can enjoy the drive and get to where they want to go efficiently, safely and comfortably.

"We are dedicated to providing the highest level of automotive grade quality data to support research development and innovation in the industry," said Dave Dale, Vice President of Americas Sales, NAVTEQ.  "Projects such as these reinforce that NAVTEQ Maps and our premium content not only add value to the automotive industry today, but will continue to play a significant role in automotive solutions of the future."

About NAVTEQ
NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of location content in the form of maps, traffic and places data that enables navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world.  NAVTEQ supplies precise, comprehensive location content to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions.  The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 5,500 employees located in 202 offices in 53 countries.

For more information on NAVTEQ, please visit http://corporate.navteq.com. This NAVTEQ press release and other news is available at http://press.navteq.com. Join NAVTEQ on Facebook at facebook.com/NAVTEQCompany and Twitter at @NAVTEQ.

NAVTEQ and Traffic Patterns are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060313/NAVTEQLOGO)

SOURCE NAVTEQ