High-definition (HD) maps meant for machine-to-machine communication must be accurate to within 10 to 20 centimeters. Self-driving vehicles need to continuously update, or register, their location on these maps with an equally high degree of accuracy, according to Fang, who said that the goal of the collaborative research is to enhance car-to-map precision to within 10 centimeters. “Essentially, we want to be able to precisely match what the car sees with what’s in the cloud database. An incredibly precise ruler isn’t of much use if your vision is blurry,” he explained.