- Navigation Systems (GPS): A device that uses map information in order to give the user information about how to get to the inputted destination. Newer navigation systems are able to account for traffic using some variables like sports events, weather conditions, and accident reportings.
- Traffic: When there are many cars packed into a small area, thus the cars must slow down or take caution of their surroundings.
One of the biggest problems that many face every year, traffic, can be shortened through using efficient navigation systems. A 2007 study showed that in the United States alone, drivers spent 4 billion hours in traffic that year itself; those delays cost nearly $90 billion in fuel and lost productivity. Currently, our high-tech GPS systems are not able to predict traffic, rather they just tell people about traffic after it starts. The difficult thing is that creating such a system requires assimilating vast amounts of historical and real-time data on traffic oh all relevant roads — about 4 million miles' worth. Only a minuscule fraction of highways are currently monitored. Navteq, a division of Nokia, is trying to monitor this traffic through using cell phones. The cell phones would give off the speed of their movement to Navteq and in turn they would collect this data and use it to make a better Navigation System. Moving forward, whenever Navteq realizes that a car is slowing down, their navigation systems would question drivers on whether they are in traffic and how congested it is. Although some people will still get stuck in traffic, a majority of citizens will avoid this problem. Discussion:
As a person who is usually stuck in traffic for about an hour a day, I can say that this breakthrough would be revolutionary. Over the course of a year, it would save a lot of oil, which is essential as we run low on this black gold. In addition, we would it would help our economy as it would open more time for people to work and earn money. Ultimately, it would make our country much more effective and on time. Overall, the lives of many will be helped with this product.
Questions:
- How long will it take to collect this data?
- How will they be able to collect this data and effectively convey it to the navigation systems?
Freedman, David H. "EBSCO: Future Tech." EBSCOhost. 2010. EBSCOhost. Web. 19
Nov. 2010. <http://puffin.harker.org:2092/ehost/
detail?vid=11&hid=17&sid=459209ea-54a7-40f8-8b95-c2cd1a339a86%40sessionmgr104&bda
ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=sch&AN=52887083>.
Picture: http://www.automotive-access.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/2010-range-rover-navigation-system.jpg
