To Attract Self-Driving Car Companies, Iowa Invests in 3-D Maps

In an effort to attract self-driving car researchers to the state, the Iowa Department of Transportation has hired a tech company to create detailed and real-time maps of road conditions on Interstate 380.

 

HERE, a mapping company owned by German automakers BMW, Audi and Daimler will combine the DOT’s maps and traffic monitoring with its own mapping technology to create real-time, three-dimensional maps of the interstate.

 

The maps should be accurate down to the centimeter and will be available for researchers and car-makers, said Andrea Henry, a spokesperson for the DOT.

 

Iowa has no legislation that regulates or prohibits self-driving cars.

 

While no companies are known to be testing self-driving cars in Iowa, state officials hope the maps will change that.