TDK launches DRIVE for control-grade accuracy

TDK Corporation has launched Trusted Positioning DRIVE, an integrated GNSS and INS software solution for advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) as well as robotic and off-road vehicle platforms.

DRIVE provides centimeter- to decimeter-level accuracy in real-world environments where GNSS alone is unreliable, providing customers the ability to scale and commercialize advanced control technologies economically.

High-end inertial navigation systems deliver the accuracy needed for control, but their price and hardware complexity -are not feasible or practical to scale. On the other hand, basic telematics are affordable but not reliable or responsive enough for autonomy. DRIVE bridges this gap with a right-sized navigation solution, achieving the reliability needed to deploy advanced platforms without requiring expensive perception sensors.

“Next-generation vehicles and machines need positioning that is accurate, available and affordable for commercialization of advanced control systems,” said Chris Goodall, president of Trusted Positioning. “With DRIVE, we’re giving customers flexible embedded software solution that can be deployed across a wide range of platforms — helping them accelerate innovation in autonomy, ADAS and robotics.”

Applications include

• driver-assist platforms that need stable positioning through tunnels, bridges and urban canyons
• industrial and off-road vehicles, construction sites, agriculture or GNSS-compromised environments
• logistics applications requiring lane- or sidewalk-level positioning accuracy
• semi-autonomous machines and wheeled platforms advancing toward Level 2+ autonomy.

DRIVE maintains accurate and reliable positioning, delivering position, velocity and orientation during on-road and off-road maneuvers. It is built for tough GNSS environments and continues delivering positioning when satellite signals are weak or unavailable. It is compatible with high-accuracy RTK corrections from any capable GNSS receiver.

DRIVE is available immediately for trial evaluation or software integration.