Trimble announced at CES 2025 that it has extended its technology collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to deliver better positioning solutions for AVs (automated vehicles) ranging from passenger cars to heavy trucks. The company’s technology currently enables high-profile ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) applications like General Motors’ Super Cruise and Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist.

Trimble’s precise positioning engine, ProPoint Go, will be integrated with the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2, a key platform of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis solution, to provide positioning accuracy within 10 cm (3.9 in). Vehicles with the joint solution are expected to be on the roads by 2028.

“Continued success between Qualcomm Technologies and Trimble is a testament to our joint innovation and delivery of solutions that help make higher levels of ADAS and C-V2X a reality for the automotive and telecom industries,” said Olivier Casabianca, Vice President for Positioning Services at Trimble. “While fully automated vehicles and trucking are still in the development stages, we are making great strides in providing technology to meet the requirements of greater levels of autonomy.”

This new integration is capable of supporting Level 2+ and potentially higher levels of automated driving applications with high-accuracy positioning for ADAS and C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) for automakers and Tier 1 suppliers. With the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2, customers can extend into Level 3 autonomous driving applications and C-V2X solutions with the same chipset.

“We are committed to delivering driver-assistance technologies with a focus on achieving automated driving and creating a system that accurately responds to its surroundings,” said Jeff Arnold, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our continued collaboration with Trimble allows us to add more reliable and accurate positioning to our technology stack that enhances our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of safety and system reliability.”

The Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2 platform features integrated C-V2X direct communications, non-terrestrial networks, high-precision multi-frequency GNSS (global navigation satellite system), and RF front-end functionalities to support operators across key spectrum bands globally.

The ProPoint Go positioning engine from Trimble is designed to provide position and orientation data from the fusion of GNSS signals including globally accessible high-accuracy Trimble correction services and measurement data from a variety of sensors. The engine provides precise and reliable centimeter-level position, velocity, and time information based on multi-frequency GNSS signals and ASIL-C-certified Trimble RTX correction data. The positioning ecosystem helps companies advance their automated driving capabilities with greater safety.

The high-accuracy positioning of RTX technology is a key enabler of the hands-off and guided freeway driving capabilities of Nissan’s latest ProPILOT Assist 2.0. Trimble’s solution, underpinned by its integrity-monitoring capabilities, enables consistent lane-level positioning in this and other complex, real-world driving environments.

A key feature of the ProPILOT Assist 2.0 system is hands-off driving while cruising in a lane. When the vehicle approaches a road divide, or when passing a slower vehicle, the system judges the appropriate timing of branching off or passing based on information from the navigation system and 360-degree sensing. Audio and visual guidance are given to the driver, who is then prompted to put both hands on the steering wheel and confirm the operation.

The RTX network is supported by a globally redundant and resilient infrastructure to ensure optimal signal performance and reliability. The positioning technology can provide decimeter-level accuracy in seconds, enabling autonomy applications including automotive driving when accuracy, speed of convergence, and accessibility to a single global network matter.