Toyota Motor Corp’s (7203.T) research arm said on Thursday it acquired U.S.-based Carmera, a provider of maps and data for driverless vehicles, marking the Japanese car maker’s latest investment in autonomous technology.

The purchase, through newly created subsidiary Woven Planet for an undisclosed sum, underscores Toyota’s push to bulk up its self-driving arsenal as traditional automakers compete with the autonomous ambitions of tech giants including Apple (AAPL.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O).

Buying Carmera will give Toyota access to real-time, high-definition maps and crowdsourced inputs that are essential for autonomous vehicles to locate and navigate themselves, the companies said in a statement.

The two companies have collaborated since 2018 on projects including technology that updates repainted lane markings on high-definition maps with accuracy.
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