Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, in Qatar, digital maps are lagging behind. While the country is adding new roads and constantly improving old ones in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar isn't a high priority for the companies that actually build out maps, like Google. "While visiting Qatar, we've had experiences where our Uber driver can't figure out how to get where he's going, because the map is so off," Sam Madden, a professor at MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said in a prepared statement. "If navigation apps don't have the right information, for things such as lane merging, this could be frustrating or worse." It's faster, cheaper, and way easier to obtain satellite images than it is for a tech company to drive around grabbing street-view photos.

A model invented by researchers at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) that uses satellite imagery to tag road features in digital maps could help improve GPS navigation. Showing drivers more details about their routes can often help them navigate in unfamiliar locations. Lane counts, for instance, can enable a GPS system to warn drivers of diverging or merging lanes. Incorporating information about parking spots can help drivers plan ahead, while mapping bicycle lanes can help cyclists negotiate busy city streets. Providing updated information on road conditions can also improve planning for disaster relief.

In-car satnav systems and mobile mapping apps have made it much easier to travel from one place to another without getting lost, but a new innovation promises to help fix a remaining pain point – getting in the right lane at intersections. Today's mapping apps aren't always much help if you're at an unfamiliar intersection and aren't sure exactly where on the road your car is supposed to be: the apps often don't have the detail or the knowledge to warn you in good time about changing lanes. The system developed by researchers at MIT and the Qatar Computing Research Institute uses satellite imagery to augment existing mapping data, but the smart part is applying artificial intelligence to work out the layout of roads hidden by trees and buildings. It's called RoadTagger, and by deploying machine learning on satellite imagery, the system is able to figure out with a high degree of accuracy some extra details on roads – including, for example, how many lanes they have. That could give drivers an early warning about diverging or merging lanes.

A model invented by researchers at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) that uses satellite imagery to tag road features in digital maps could help improve GPS navigation. Showing drivers more details about their routes can often help them navigate in unfamiliar locations. Lane counts, for instance, can enable a GPS system to warn drivers of diverging or merging lanes. Incorporating information about parking spots can help drivers plan ahead, while mapping bicycle lanes can help cyclists negotiate busy city streets. Providing updated information on road conditions can also improve planning for disaster relief.

While Google and other technology giants have their own dynamics to keep the most detailed and up-to-date maps possible, it is an expensive and time-consuming process. And in some areas, the data is limited. To improve this, researchers at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) have developed a new machine-learning model based on satellite images that could significantly improve digital maps for GPS navigation. The system, called "RoadTagger," recognizes the types of roads and the number of lanes in satellite images, even in spite of trees or buildings that obscure the view. In the future, the system should recognize even more details, such as bike paths and parking spaces.

A model invented by researchers at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) that uses satellite imagery to tag road features in digital maps could help improve GPS navigation. Showing drivers more details about their routes can often help them navigate in unfamiliar locations. Lane counts, for instance, can enable a GPS system to warn drivers of diverging or merging lanes. Incorporating information about parking spots can help drivers plan ahead, while mapping bicycle lanes can help cyclists negotiate busy city streets. Providing updated information on road conditions can also improve planning for disaster relief.