Dataset for testing and training of map-matching algorithms
Matˇ ej Kubiˇ cka, Arben Cela, Philippe Moulin, Hugues Mounier, and S.I. Niculescu
Abstract— We present a large-scale dataset for testing, bench-
marking, and offline learning of map-matching algorithms.
For the first time, a large enough dataset is available to
prove or disprove map-matching hypotheses on a world-wide
scale. There are several hundred map-matching algorithms
published in literature, each tested only on a limited scale due to
difficulties in collecting truly large scale data. Our contribution
aims to provide a convenient gold standard to compare various
map-matching algorithms between each other. Moreover, as
many state-of-the-art map-matching algorithms are based on
techniques that require offline learning, our dataset can be
readily used as the training set. Because of the global coverage
of our dataset, learning does not have to be be biased to the
part of the world where the algorithm was tested.
I. I NTRODUCTION
Many map-matching algorithms have been published so
far, but there is no standard methodology to estimate their
performance. Many authors test their contributions only on
simulations. Those who perform field testing most often
commit tests that are limited in size, usually without compar-
ison to other algorithms. Reasons for this are twofold: first,
it is not immediately clear how to estimate performance of
such algorithm (as mentioned in an early paper by White et
al. [4]) and secondly, until recently it was cost prohibitive to
collect a large-enough dataset for robust testing.
A. Problem statement
We are provided with a track and a map and we wish to
obtain a route. A track is a finite, ordered set of geopoints,
where each geopoint has an assigned position on Earth and a
timestamp. A map is modeled as a directed graph consisting
of two sets of nodes and arcs. Nodes have assigned position
on Earth and arcs represent linear road segments between
two nodes.
Note that our definition of a map is the simplest rep-
resentation of a road network. In particular, such graph
embeds curvature of streets as well as one-way restrictions
in its topology. Some authors use slightly different model
where each arc is a curved street with its shape encoded as
attributes.
A route is a contiguous sequence of arcs in a map on
which a vehicle is traveling. The map-matching problem
Matˇ ej Kubiˇ cka, Hugues Mounier and S.I. Niculescu are with
Laboratoire des Signaux et Systemes, CNRS/Supelec, 91192, Gif-
Sur-Yvettes Cedex, France. matej.kubicka@lss.supelec.fr,
hugues.mounier@lss.supelec.fr,
silviu.niculescu@lss.supelec.fr.
Arben Cela is with UPE, ESIEE Paris, 93162, Noisy-Le-Grand Cedex,
France, arben.cela@esiee.fr
Philippe Moulin is with IFP Energies nouvelles, 1 & 4,
avenue de Bois-Pr´ eau, 92852 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex - France,
philippe.moulin@ifpen.fr
(a) problematic track feature example
(b) positioning system error example
(c) map error example
(d) parking lot
Fig. 1. examples of problematic situations
deals with matching a track to a map in order to obtain
a route. Specifically, we match a track to a sequence of
contiguous arcs on a map. As each arc represents a part
of a street, our goal is to recover a sequence of streets on
which the vehicle travels. This task is essential for a variety
of problems such as routing, location aware services, and
floating car data systems.
The incongruence between the track and the route is often
referred to as “spatial mismatch”. Map-matching is then a
method to correct this mismatch.
B. Motivation
The main motivation for this work stems from our inability
to properly investigate properties of our own algorithm [3].
The approach we took was based on a small set of test runs
in rural and urban areas with a predetermined route. We have
ran our algorithm on tracks collected on these test runs and
observed that the resulting route was matched correctly. It
2015 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV)
June 28 - July 1, 2015. COEX, Seoul, Korea
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