Dynamic Map Platform North America, Inc. (hereinafter "DMP NA"), a group company of Dynamic Map Platform Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shuichi Yoshimura; hereinafter "the Company"), participated as an official supplier in the "AutoDrive ChallengeTM II," an autonomous driving contest for university students hosted by SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) and General Motors (GM), held from May 31 to June 6, 2026, at "Mcity," the autonomous vehicle proving ground at the University of Michigan in Michigan, USA. Our group has served as an official supplier for this program for five consecutive years since its inception.

Scenes from the "AutoDrive ChallengeTM II" 2026 competition.

The "AutoDrive ChallengeTM II" is a five-year, university-based program aimed at nurturing the next generation of autonomous driving engineers. Participating teams work on developing autonomous driving systems using actual vehicles, striving to achieve Level 4 autonomous driving on a course simulating an urban environment.

Throughout the five years, our group has provided high-definition 3D map data for the local test courses of each participating team and for the Mcity facility, the competition venue. Our high-definition 3D map data is utilized by the participating teams' vehicles for precise self-localization, forming the foundation for achieving Level 4 equivalent path planning and vehicle control when combined with recognition and sensing technologies.

Ten universities from the United States and Canada participated in the 2026 competition, competing in their autonomous driving technology development achievements. The participating universities were Kettering University, Michigan Technological University, North Carolina A&T State University, The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Texas A&M University, University of Toronto, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Queen's University, and Virginia Tech.

Each university was scored across seven evaluation categories through driving assessments of complex scenarios such as navigating intersections, adhering to traffic laws, and avoiding obstacles, showcasing their development achievements in various technical fields including perception, decision-making, and control.

During the event, DMP NA exhibited a booth. The booth attracted student engineers from the US and Canada participating in the event, as well as professionals from the automotive industry, leading to active exchanges of opinions on how our data is utilized in in-vehicle autonomous driving systems and AI-driven autonomous driving development, as well as the latest trends in the autonomous driving market.

The societal implementation of autonomous driving technology requires the cultivation of human resources who can comprehensively understand diverse technical fields such as AI, sensing, mapping, and software. Through our five-year support of this contest, our group has supported the challenges of students who will lead the future mobility industry, while contributing to the advancement of autonomous driving technology and the creation of innovation through industry-academia collaboration.

Moving forward, our group will continue to contribute to the advancement of autonomous driving technology by providing high-definition 3D map data and supporting the development of next-generation talent through collaboration with universities, research institutions, and industry.

<"AutoDrive ChallengeTM II" 2026 Competition Overview>

Date

May 31 (Sun) - June 6 (Sat), 2026

Location

"Mcity" at the University of Michigan

Participating Universities (10 teams)

Virginia Tech, University of Toronto, Texas A&M University, Queen's University, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, Michigan Technological University, North Carolina A&T State University, Kettering University, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Organizers

SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers), General Motors (GM)

Official Website

https://www.autodrivechallenge.com/

<About Dynamic Map Platform Co., Ltd.>

The Company was established with the backing of the Japanese government and investment from 10 domestic automakers, among others. With its headquarters in Japan and bases in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and South Korea, the Company currently operates in 26 countries. It provides high-definition 3D map data for a wide range of applications, including autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), simulator environment construction, infrastructure management, and snow removal support.

With the vision of "Modeling the Earth" – the digitalization of the Earth – we co-create innovation in various industrial fields as a high-definition 3D map data platformer.

Established: June 2016

Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Shuichi Yoshimura

Business Activities: Provision of high-definition 3D map data for diverse industries including autonomous driving and ADAS

Official Website: https://www.dynamic-maps.co.jp/

Official X: https://x.com/dynamic_maps

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 企業活動
  • Organizations: Dynamic Map Platform North America, Inc. / SAE International / GM