Gabriel Reid explained how TomTom has transitioned from more traditional methods of data collection and processing to an innovative data-driven approach for the creation of digital maps and services. He outlinened how this completely new approach has not only led to increased efficiency and quality, but even to a whole new business model for the company.

1. Data Driving Innovation
Gabriel Reid, Software Engineer at TomTom

2. Who is Gabriel Reid?
• Software Engineer in TomTom Content Production since 2005
• Develop software for digital map creation, conversion, and maintenance
• Current focus: Explorative Development
• TomTom:
• Founded in 1991
• 3500 employees
• Sales in over 40 countries
• Navigation devices, digital maps, real-time services
2 10 June 2011

3. Introduction to digital map creation
More than just a bunch of lines
• High level of
detail
• Stringent quality
requirements for
automotive
clients
3 10 June 2011

4. Construction Status:
Construction planned Composite Vehicle Restriction
Blocked Passage
Functional Road Class House Number Dynamic Speed
from July 20 Even
Information:
th to Information: Blocked
August 10th 2011 Restriction: in both
every second Sunday Positional Accuracy
Numbers on the left
side, starting from Speed Restrictions, includingall
of the month for directions
12 and ending at 28, vehicle andNo Through Traffic: false
time validity
Direction of Traffic 16, 18, 20,
with 14, vehicles except
Flow: Open in both 24 as
and emergency vehicles Road Conditions
Part of a Structure:all false
intermediate
directions for numbers, odd
ADAS-Compliant: true
vehicle types except on the right
numbers Rough Road
side, starting at 11 Local
Importance:
heavy vehicles at all
and ending at 25,
times withConnecting Road
15, 17, 19, 21, Route Number Information, Route
Road Geometry Completeness and 23 as Special Restrictions
intermediate Shield Information
numbers
Special Charge
Street Code: AAABB723423XD3 Lane Type of Lanes: 3
Number Information
Toll Information Road: false
Back
Name: 14th Street Transition
Lane End Information
Street Identifier: 1244322124543 Speed Category
RDS and TMC code information
Carriageway Designator: Local
Postal Code Information Alternate Name: Fourteenth Street
Ramp
Plural Junction
Alternate Name Side of Line: Both Lane Direction
Category: straight with
Processing Status: MRNW
Major RoadWay: Single
Form of Feature: true
single solid line, always
Carriageway
valid
Stubble Freeway: false
4 10 June 2011

5. Map content and map creation a few years ago
• Very static
• Relatively slow and expensive
to collect
• Define exactly what you want,
and then start
collecting/producing it
5 10 June 2011

6. Anonymous data collection
6 10 June 2011

7. How anonymous probe data collection works
7 10 June 2011

8. See where (and when) vehicles have driven
through the road network
8 10 June 2011

9. Map Corrections
9 10 June 2011

10. Probe data has changed how we make maps
10 10 June 2011

11. Road attribute extraction
More than just coordinates
Number of lanes Speed restrictions One-way streets
The number of lanes on a road “Trustworthy” drivers are found Everyone driving in one
can be extracted based on and used to extend speed direction along a road points is
statistical probe traces restriction information an indication of a one-way road
11 10 June 2011

12. Let the innovation begin!
12 10 June 2011

13. A recipe for innovation
Lots of data An inventive team
Result: innovations that couldn’t have even
been dreamed of before the data was available
13 10 June 2011

14. Data has led to new products
Road curvature and
Speed Profiles Custom Travel Times
gradient information
Statistical information about the Expected travel times over a Highly detailed information
speed of traffic flow at any complete route based on about the curves and gradient
given time of day on any day of statistical information along roads that has been
the week extracted from historical data
14 10 June 2011

15. Even more data
• Mobile phones used as remote
sensor network
• No need to have GPS-enabled
mobile phones
• Provides real-time data
15 10 June 2011

16. HD Traffic
• Real-time traffic flow
information in Europe and the
United States
• Based on anonymous real-time
data
• 80 million mobile phone
users
• 1.6 million connected
TomTom users
16 10 June 2011

17. Data has led to a new business model
TomTom doesn’t just sell GPS units anymore
• Transitioning from a
consumer device-based
business model to a services-
based business model
• Real-time traffic information
services
• Consumer market
• Government and
enterprise market
17 10 June 2011

18. Innovation breeds innovation
Smart ideas lead to smarter ideas
• Data and information sharing
• Experimentation time
18 10 June 2011

19. There is no silver bullet
Huge amounts of unstructured data can’t solve all your problems
• Not everything can be extracted/mined out of data
• Big data storage and processing aren’t always easy
19 10 June 2011

20. Conclusion
• Lots of data can lead to new ideas
• Don’t let storage or structure be
too much of an issue in the
beginning
• Encourage experimentation and
foster knowledge sharing
• The innovations of tomorrow
aren’t even being dreamed of
yet…
20 10 June 2011

21. Thank you
Any questions?
21 10 June 2011