Nokia business unit Here has begun offering its high-definition mapping data to automotive suppliers in parts of the U.S., France, and Germany to advance automated driving technology, according to the company.

Here has been developing high-definition (HD) maps of specific stretches of open road in these four countries, as well as on private test tracks for automated driving projects. The company works with more than 10 leading automotive companies. Maps are created using data recorded by vehicles equipped with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing technology that measures distance with a pulsed laser.

"The HD Map is a crucial component of automated driving technology, helping highly automated vehicles precisely position themselves on the road," said Ogi Redzic, Here's senior vice president of automotive. "This highly detailed information helps highly automated cars better plan maneuvers and make driving decisions."

Redzic addressed topics related to automated vehicles and digital infrastructure Wednesday at the Automated Vehicles Symposium in Ann Arbor, Mich. Partnering with the University of Michigan’s Mobility Transformation Center, Here aims to map a full-scale 32-acrea cityscape on the university campus to test connected and automated vehicle systems before they’re tried in real traffic.

These high-definition maps for the various country highways and roads can be found on the Here website.