Mapping Techniques Using Probe Vehicles

Method and system for mapping terrain including one or more roads includes a vehicle equipped with at least one camera, a position determining system that determines its position and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that provides at least one inertial property of the vehicle, all of which are in a set configuration relative to one another. A processor at a remote location apart from the vehicle converts images from the camera(s) to a map including objects from the images by identifying common objects in multiple images and using the position information and the inertial measurement information from when the multiple images were obtained and knowledge of the set configuration of the camera(s), the position determining system and the IMU. The images, position information and inertial measurement information are transmitted to the processor by a communications unit on the vehicle.