Volkswagen Faucets Solana-Primarily based DePIN Undertaking Hivemapper’s Bee Maps for Driverless Information
Volkswagen ADMT, the carmaker’s autonomous-vehicle testing subsidiary, has tapped Hivemapper’s Bee Maps to help its self-driving operations with real-time mapping knowledge.
Avenue-level imagery collected by Bee Maps contributors utilizing Hivemapper cameras will likely be used to assist validate Volkswagen’s self-driving know-how in an effort to spice up the curbside precision of autonomous pick-ups and drop-offs, a Bee Maps spokesperson advised CoinDesk.
The deal highlights the rising adoption of crowdsourced geospatial knowledge as autonomous ride-sharing companies search for extra exact, up-to-date mapping infrastructure. It additionally showcases the expansion of decentralized bodily infrastructure networks (DePIN), which use blockchain incentives to crowdsource real-world knowledge assortment. Hivemapper is among the best-known DePIN initiatives within the Solana ecosystem.
“This can be a shift from static to residing maps,” stated Ariel Seidman, CEO of Hivemapper, in a press release shared with CoinDesk. “We acknowledge that real-world autonomy relies on high-quality knowledge that evolves as quick because the streets do.”
In keeping with the Wall Avenue Journal, Volkswagen’s autonomous driving unit has been testing its ‘Robotaxi’ fleet in latest months. In April, the corporate additionally introduced a partnership with Uber to launch the service in U.S. markets, with pilot operations set for late 2025 and a wider rollout deliberate for 2026.
Contributors to Bee Maps, which is constructed on the Hivemapper community, earn crypto rewards for his or her efforts. AI then processes the pictures to detect signage, building zones and lane closures, making certain the info stays contemporary.
Learn extra: Lyft Faucets Solana’s Hivemapper for Actual-Time, Crowdsourced Mapping Improve
