A car with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride Pilot, the company’s driving assistance system, roamed the streets of Las Vegas to kick off the CES tech show on Monday. However, the limelight wasn’t on driving assistance systems or autonomous driving on city streets and highways, but rather an additional feature aiming to create a smooth and safe driving experience: AI-powered maps.
(Note: Qualcomm sponsored my trip to CES by providing travel, accommodations, and meals. No other compensation was received and Qualcomm had no editorial input or influence on my content.)
At CES, Qualcomm showcased what AI maps created by HERE Technologies could do when paired with its Snapdragon Ride Pilot, a Level 2+ autonomous driving system. The maps are part of creating a smooth and safe driving experience while both a human driver and the computer driver are at the wheel, Qualcomm said.
According to HERE, its maps create an “e-horizon” that anticipate the road beyond what the car can see ahead. They also offer a view of the road topography lane-by-lane, which helps facilitate better lane changes.
While Qualcomm isn’t breaking into the robotaxi scene, it powers many of the vehicles on the road behind the scenes with its Snapdragon chip.
As part of its Snapdragon Digital Chassis package, Qualcomm provides infotainment services, in-vehicle connectivity, dashboard displays, safety features, and other advanced features in cars from manufacturers like BMW, General Motors, and Ford. HERE is one of many integrations that can work with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride Pilot.
HERE says its advanced driving maps work in 60 countries already, adding that it has plans to expand to 100 countries this year.
Gizmodo is on the ground in Las Vegas all week bringing you everything you need to know about the tech unveiled at CES 2026. You can follow our CES live blog here and find all our coverage here.
Source: Gizmodo