Road Map Generation With Visual Foundation Models for Automated Driving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional foundation models struggle to effectively leverage rich information from maps, such as road layouts and contextual information like speed limits, for automated driving applications.

Innovation Solution

A visual foundation model is trained to generate high-definition road maps with locally allocated contextual information, using image input data to create accurate road layouts and applicable traffic regulations, suitable for automated driving vehicles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional foundation models are used for automated driving, then general image processing capabilities are available, but the ability to effectively leverage rich map information such as road layouts and contextual information is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to leverage map informationVSAvoidspecialized map processing capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The visual foundation model is designed to perform multiple functions: it processes general image data and simultaneously generates specialized road maps with contextual information. The model integrates both semantic segmentation and map generation capabilities within a single unified architecture, allowing it to adapt to different driving scenarios while maintaining general image processing skills.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The model employs parameter-efficient fine-tuning techniques to adapt pre-trained vision transformers for road map generation. By selectively updating certain parameters and using techniques like LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation), the model achieves specialized map processing capabilities without requiring complete retraining, thus improving reliability while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If high-definition road maps with detailed contextual information are generated, then accuracy and safety for automated driving are improved, but computational complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroad layout accuracyVSAvoidcomputational processing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The road map generation process is divided into distinct segments: the model first performs semantic segmentation to identify different road elements, then generates the road layout, and finally adds contextual information such as traffic signs and speed limits. This segmented approach allows the system to achieve high precision while managing computational complexity through modular processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The visual foundation model leverages pre-trained knowledge from large-scale image datasets to establish initial understanding of road structures. By performing preliminary feature extraction and semantic understanding before generating detailed road maps, the system reduces the computational burden during the actual map generation phase while maintaining high accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If visual foundation models are trained on large datasets for road map generation, then generation quality and contextual accuracy are improved, but training time and data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroad map generation qualityVSAvoidtraining time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses pre-trained vision transformers that have already learned general visual features from large-scale image datasets. This preliminary training on general data allows the model to focus during specialized training only on road-specific features and contextual information, significantly reducing the time required to achieve high generation quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The training process employs parameter-efficient fine-tuning methods where only a subset of model parameters is updated during specialized road map generation training. This approach maintains high generation quality by preserving learned general visual features while adapting to specific road map requirements, thereby reducing overall training time and computational resource requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4628845A1Technique for generating a road map for automated driving
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
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AI summary

A technique for generating a road map, in particular appropriate for use in automated driving, AD, of a vehicle is provided. A method comprises a step of receiving image input data. The image input data comprises acquired image data representing at least one area which is drivable by a vehicle. The method further comprises a step of generating a road map based on the received image input data. The generating of the road map is performed by a trained visual foundation model for road map generation, in particular appropriate for use in AD. The generated road map comprises a road layout within the at least one area drivable by a vehicle along with locally allocated contextual information in view of applicable traffic regulations.