Digital mapping company Navteq has introduced a new navigation system that guides drivers based on the way people naturally give each other directions, with Chicago as one of the initial cities in the launch.
Its new system, called Natural Guidance, gives instructions based on points of interest and landmarks. For example, instead of traditional navigation systems that tell drivers to turn after a certain amount of distance, Natural Guidance instructs users to “turn right after the yellow shop.”
Chicago-based Navteq provides maps, realtime traffic information and location data to in-dash navigation systems in cars and portable GPS devices, among other Web applications and gadgets.
“Research shows consumers desire more intuitive and practical directions because it is easier to follow and allows the user to keep their eyes on the road,” said Navteq, which is owned by Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia.
The Natural Guidance system is available in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, as well as several European capitals and Delhi, India.
Navteq ad describing new interface:
So what happens when the building gets painted, or torn down, or the church is converted to a restuarant?
With measurements, it’s standard and very likely to remain accurate.
With this system, you need to buy a new disk every (!) year and even then it’s doubtful that they re-survey the every such area, annually for changes.
Of course this dumbs it down for the average customer, so they don’t need all that elementary school knowledge like left, right, feet, miles, etc.
Turn right where the school used to be.
@B in PS
Navteq maps are very frequently updated.
So there wont be any issue even if building gets painted…
You can take the update maps or upgrade the version of maps and i dont think so update will be that expensive that average customer cant afford.
@DHaval
Even though the maps are updated from navteq’s standpoint, it doesn’t mean the in dash car system or pnd gets updated. How often do users update maps (cars-> ever?, PND’s-> every 2 years?)