Mitsubishi Electric to Release Compact Mobile Mapping System

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that it will release a compact version of its mobile mapping system (MMS) on December 25, 2018.  MMS are highly precise measuring systems comprising car-mounted GPS antennas, laser scanners and cameras to gather 3D positioning data on road surfaces and roadside features, generally used as base data to create high-definition 3D maps for autonomous driving and infrastructure inspections.  The compact, lightweight and transportable new MMS-G, which is especially suited to mounting on automobiles, railways, carts or ships, is expected to be used for diverse applications in markets including Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania, where high growth is forecast.

Compact Mobile Mapping System Features Include:

1. Compact, lightweight model for easy transportation and diverse installations

   1. Compact design integrates three Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas into one to reduce weight by about 50 percent compared to existing MMS-G220Z model.
   2. Roof-mount unit divides into two units for easier transportation/installation and reduced labor.
   3. Diverse mounting on not only automobiles but also railcars, carts, ships, et

2. Diverse, high-precision field surveys for 3D mapping and infrastructure inspections

   1. Inertial measurement unit (IMU; for detecting position, velocity, attitude and heading) and speed sensor can be used where satellite signals cannot be received, such as tunnels.
   2. High-sensitivity camera enables data acquisition at night.

3. Simple operation does not require specialized training

   1. Unique, proprietary operating software and GUI enable field surveys to be performed without complicated settings.
   2. Estimated measurement accuracy can be confirmed on operating screen in real time, enabling users to select operations efficiently for optimized data acquisition.
   3. Obtained data can be used to construct 3D laser point clouds easily with post-processing software (provided).

Mitsubishi Electric is developing markets in Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania, where the demand for highly accurate, precise and efficient field surveys and infrastructure inspections is expected to grow.  Demand is especially promising in North America and Europe, where high-definition 3D maps are required as base data for autonomous-driving demonstrations currently under way and envisioned commercial systems in the future.  The company's new MMS-G, in addition to field surveys and data acquisition for autonomous-driving maps, can be flexibly mounted to inspect railroads, coastal embankments, hard-to-access areas and more.