Fujitsu developed an image-compression technology that reduced images to 0.1% of their original size, making them small enough to be sent in real time in moving vehicles.

The new algorithm compresses data at a ratio of 1,000-to-1 compared to the more typical 80-to-1. By significantly reducing the volume of data, moving cars will be able to send high-resolution images over the internet to data centers in real time. Using the same algorithm will be able to transmit images related to the road, signals or intersections, to the data centers for real-time feedback.

The algorithm will have a greater importance in the upcoming 5G mobile networks, set for commercialization in 2020. The 5G networks will be able to handle far greater data traffic than existing networks and could provide a major boon to self-driving systems. Fujitsu hopes to have a commercial version of its algorithm ready in three years to be marketed to automakers and other companies.

Fujitsu's technology can also be used when feeding images to artificial intelligence systems in order to increase the precision of self-driving systems. And it could help in the creation of accurate and up-to-date 3D maps.

Intel's Mobileye has also developed a competing technology for its advanced driver-assistance systems. But cars using that algorithm only send certain types of information to data centers.