Dense downtown corridors test every layer of an autonomy stack. Congested lanes, unpredictable pedestrians, and intermittent GPS demand spatial AI that can localize, predict, and plan at human speed—or faster.
City Mission Highlights
- High-definition mapping plus live SLAM keeps vehicles grounded when GPS fades.
- Prediction-led planning negotiates merges, unprotected turns, and abrupt stops.
- All-weather sensor fusion maintains perception through rain, snow, and glare.
Layered Mapping Keeps Vehicles Grounded
High-definition base maps paired with live SLAM keep vehicles anchored to the road surface. LiDAR, camera, and radar readings continuously refine those maps, so platforms stay oriented even inside tunnels or between mirror-glass towers. Fresh observations flow back to the fleet, keeping every vehicle’s map synchronized with what the lead vehicle just saw.
Planning Powered by Prediction
Understanding where agents might go is as important as knowing where they are. We run trajectory-prediction networks that feed model predictive control planners. The combination helps vehicles negotiate aggressive merges, unprotected turns, and surprise stops with confidence—no hard braking, no lingering mid-intersection.
All-Weather Sensor Fusion
Rain, snow, and glare used to knock perception offline. Today, radar backstops camera vision in poor conditions, while thermal sensors highlight vulnerable road users at night. The fusion layer re-weights sensors automatically, so the stack always leans on the cleanest signal in the scene.
Safety Is a Continuous Program
Each software release clears millions of simulated miles, targeted closed-course runs, and phased public pilots. Continuous monitoring feeds real-world edge cases back into the training loop, making every deployment more capable than the last.
Outlook: Urban autonomy is arriving sooner than expected. With disciplined validation and the right blend of sensor fusion plus predictive planning, even megacity streets become manageable terrain.
Dr. Marcus Rodriguez
Senior Spatial AI Engineer at Heliox AI, specializing in SLAM technology and autonomous systems.