A revolutionary approach to navigation is changing the way people approach maps – and car companies are getting on board.
Jaguar Land Rover is the latest company to add What 3 Words to in-car navigation features, joining Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Ford, Subaru, Lamborghini and others with a new look at in-car navigation.
What 3 Words is a map system that divides the world into three metre by three metre squares.
Each square is given a unique combination of three words linked to its location, a system easier to remember than complex GPS latitude and longitude coordinates.
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The centre of the MCG’s sporting pitch is “round.hurt.digits”, information easier to relay to friends, family or emergency services than “37.8200° S, 144.9834° E”.
The system’s reliance on grid squares – as opposed to street names and intersections – can make it easier to communicate location details.
It also works well off-road, where adventurers can agree on a meeting point, track back to their base camp, or provide rescuers with their exact whereabouts.
Lost hiker Jess Tinsley said rescue services reached her quickly in 2019 when she told them to meet her at ‘kicked.converged.soccer’.
“I will never forget those three words”, she said.
The system also works well in less dangerous situations.
A teenager waiting to be collected outside a busy concert at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium could ask parents to pick them up using a What 3 Words location, rather than trying to describe an approximate location.
Mum or Dad could then simply ask their car “navigate to What 3 Words ‘yoga.themes.exist’”, to meet them at the exact spot.
- news.com.au
