Through Bosch’s advanced navigation software, buildings extend skyward, enabling drivers to get their bearings more easily, and visible changes in terrain height combined with integrated satellite imagery produce an almost photorealistic look. This software takes data compliant with the new Navigation Data Standard (NDS) and processes it in a 3-D rendering module to turn it into a map.
The company says it is possible to use the Bosch approach on navigation systems that are not permanently online. If an internet connection is available though, the system can enhance the map display with dynamic data. In the future, this will allow integration of, for example, the latest weather information or fuel prices at gas stations along the route, according to the company.
Powerful 3-D map engine supports continuous zoom
The key component in Bosch’s new navigation software is a 3-D map engine based on OpenSceneGraph. It superimposes three-dimensional elements, like buildings, using an additional display layer and also can make them transparent, keeping the route visible to the driver when it goes behind structures. The driver can smoothly zoom the visible map area, from the highest level of detail to the world view. Using topographical information contained in the NDS data, the software displays differences in terrain height. It will even be possible to artificially bend up the map in the direction of the horizon, thus maximizing the amount of screen area used to display the route. The new software furthermore supports the 3-D artMap function, which rounds the edges of buildings and uses appropriate coloring to give the structures a watercolor look.
For interacting with the system, the driver can choose between voice input, multi-touch and handwriting recognition. And, thanks to the 3-D map engine, it also is possible to show different areas of the map on different screens at the same time, such as the displays in the center console and instrument cluster. The level of display detail can be adapted to the infotainment system’s computing power and memory, and the navigation software can be configured to suit carmakers’ particular requirements. Updates are easy to install via USB media or a connected smartphone.
Dynamic data from the connected horizon — more than just traffic info
Today, traffic congestion already can be portrayed on the map in near real time. But if the infotainment system has internet access, it will be possible in the future to integrate even more information in the map display. The Bosch connected horizon, for example, gives real-time access to data on road conditions stored in the cloud. The 3-D map engine is able to visualize this data, so that areas of the map appear in a different color if there is particularly heavy rain or a risk of black ice. By simply tracing a circle on the screen with a finger, the driver can then tell the system to calculate an alternative route going through the point just defined. Regional temperatures and the expected path of severe storms can also be displayed — an essential function in regions of the U.S. severely affected by tornados. Furthermore, in electric vehicles, the system uses a colored, transparent overlay to indicate the current range on the map for the amount of remaining battery charge.
