▲ Park Jin-geun, Director of iNavi Systems

[Editor's Note] The domestic precision map market size, which was only KRW 79.6 billion in 2019, is expected to reach KRW 415.3 billion in 2025, recording an average annual growth rate of 31.7%. In its 'Small and Medium Business Technology Roadmap', the Ministry of SMEs and Startups predicted that the precision map market size would grow significantly due to the expansion of existing navigation technologies and businesses and the creation of new industries, citing reasons such as the limitations of sensors used in autonomous driving and strengthened policy support for the construction of precision maps. Accordingly, our magazine held the '2022 e4ds Automotive Tech Concert' on the topic of precision maps and spoke to Director Jin-Geun Park of Inavi Systems, who is participating as a speaker, about the presentation topic and corporate strategy.

■ Could you please introduce Ainavi Systems and tell us about the research and development currently being conducted?

IniVi Systems is a mobility map platform company specializing in providing changes and new values to everyday life. It operates its own brand of mobile navigation, “IniVi Air,” and provides map APIs and navigation SDKs to various mobility (taxi, logistics, etc.) services. In addition, in preparation for the future era of autonomous driving, it is researching and developing the construction of high-definition maps (HD Maps), the creation of autonomous driving paths and trajectories, and the advancement of positioning technology.

■ What are the unique technologies and advantages of Inavi Systems?

Ainiv Systems has been providing map services for approximately 25 years and has the map building experience and technology to update the national map by traveling around the country once a year. It also possesses engine technologies that can operate navigation services, such as search, route search, route guidance, map matching, and display.

iNavi Systems provides up-to-date maps to various industries that require maps through iNavi Maps API, and is actively promoting private sector cooperation and participation in public projects using map technology as a medium.

■ Please explain what you will be presenting at the 2022 e4ds Automotive Tech Concert

At the Automotive Tech Concert, we will introduce “Hybrid Map for Point-to-Point Movement Based on Designated Areas.” This topic is related to the map development of the “Designated Area-Based Point-to-Point Movement Lv. 4 Passenger-Class Autonomous Vehicle Platform Technology Development” project, which is being jointly developed with the organizer, Sonet Inc., as one of the autonomous driving projects of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

▲ Trajectory creation concept

A high-definition map (HD Map) of a designated area is constructed and connected to a general vehicle map. The hybrid map that the company calls itself refers to a technology that builds trajectory information that autonomous vehicles can follow to drive from the starting point to the destination, and allows autonomous vehicles to drive to the destination using trajectory information instead of a precise map.

▲ Example of P2P, HD Map-based Trajectory Generation

■ What is the industry outlook and what is the direction (strategy) that Inavi Systems will take?

One of the key topics at CES 2022 was future mobility and future cars equipped with autonomous driving technology. In addition, McKinsey Consulting predicted that autonomous driving sales would reach $900 billion in 2040. The domestic situation is no different. Domestic automakers and technology companies are accelerating development with the goal of achieving Lv4 autonomous driving by 2025 to 2028, and the government is also working to establish policies and infrastructure to foster the autonomous vehicle industry.

In order to participate in the era of autonomous vehicles, iNavi Systems will also build standardized precision maps required by complete vehicles, and based on this, it will research and develop maps and solutions that meet various purposes required by technology companies, such as hybrid maps, thereby contributing to the development of the autonomous vehicle industry.

■ Lastly, please say a word to the readers.

The executives and staff of Inavi Systems have been providing map services for 25 years with sincerity in maps. They are working hard to be reborn as a map loved by the public, and will do their best to provide safe maps in the future era of autonomous driving.