Ordnance Survey (OS) has launched a series of trials to develop a nationwide digital map of roadside infrastructure.
The national mapping agency is working on the project with computer vision and machine learning company Mobileye, and has enlisted Northumbrian Water Group as the first partner to support the project.
The utility company is fitting its fleet of vans and cars with Mobileye’s camera based mapping technology to capture a street level view of the road network.
An OS spokesperson said it is in discussion with a number of other potential partners to use their fleets in the initiative.
It will combine the data collected by the vehicles with OS’s existing dataset with the aim of providing map of Great Britain with details including road markings, network boxes, traffic lights, road signs, lamp and telegraph posts, bollards, manhole covers and drainage gates. It will be constantly updated by the vehicles as they travel the roads.
This is intended to provide a tool for new data and infrastructure asset monitoring services for use by the public and private sectors. It has the potential to support the development of areas such as 5G, connected autonomous vehicles, energy and infrastructure.
Deeper and richer
Neil Ackroyd, interim chief executive officer of OS, said: “The initial trials are already delivering a deeper and richer level of data capture which we are confident will bring added value to our customers and become an important dataset for emerging markets, and a building block for Britain’s infrastructure for many years.”
Initial tests have taken place in areas including London, Manchester and the North East. As yet there is no timeframe for the completion of the project.
Image by oatsy40, CC BY 2.0
