With Nokia's next-generation data collection vehicle called True II, high quality navigation maps can be built and kept fresh.

Have you ever heard of the HERE suite of location apps, such as HERE Maps, HERE Drive+ and HERE Transit? Having created the best map in the world for 30 years, HERE is a Nokia business with the brand promise of helping people navigate their lives with ease and confidence every day and everywhere. HERE's maps can be found in four out of five in-car navigation systems in North America and Europe and some of its customers include BMW, Garmin, Toyota and many more. But just how is this data collected?

Using Nokia's innovative collection technologies blended with a team of local experts with an intimate knowledge of local road networks and surrounding areas, the True II vehicle is a specially equipped vehicle used to collect and verify real time location data about buildings, street signs and roadways and then puts that information into HERE maps, which are used by Microsoft’s Bing, Windows Phone devices and cars throughout the world.

HERE’s True II Car comprises four unique technologies:

LiDAR: Rotating lasers capture 700,000 digital data points every second, which generates a virtual 3D model of the world around the vehicle.

Position Sensors: GPS and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors measure the vehicle’s speed, orientation and even gravitational forces to provide highly precise location references to every point within the virtual 3D model.

Panoramic Cameras: These cameras layer in 360° images synchronized to the 3D LiDAR points— providing the most true to life representation of the world.

High Resolution Multi-View Cameras: High-resolution images provides the opportunity to increase automation to quickly bring advanced location content to more people.