From our ‘Things we could patent but probably won’t’ department…
Here’s something I’d like, which should not be too hard to create: a satellite navigation system that understood, when it gave you a direction, the consequences of your failing to do so.
If it’s telling me to take a motorway exit which, if I miss it, will involve driving 10 miles further on before I can even turn round, I’d like it to notify me of that in no uncertain terms. It can flash red and yell at me if necessary, especially if I don’t seem to be slowing down and changing lane. It can do so even if I normally have the audio turned off. And it can do so if the route it previously suggested is no longer appropriate, because there’s been an accident resulting in a three-mile tailback.
If, on the other hand, it wants me to turn left but there are several other left turns ahead, any of which will do, and none of which will add more than a minute or two to my journey, then it can inform me in a much more relaxed way.
What do you think? Am I on to something here?
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Great idea. It brings to mind something Douglas Adams might have written about… And that is praise indeed!
Thanks Simon – I can ask for no greater compliment!
I’ve been wondering how difficult it would be to calculate the direction of the sun, so that your SatNav might be able to predict when you’re about to be blinded as you come around a bend!
Would it then be possible to somehow bias the route calculations so as to avoid such incidents?
True Simplicity!
In addition it would be good if the satnav had some weighting based on processing of google streetview. I’m thinkinging along the lines of “This really looks like a residential back street, with parked cars on both sides, narrowing to a single lane with a Tescos Delivery Lorry unloading and blocking the road. Maybe I shouldn’t direct the driver down here, even if the M6 is a bit busy”. Or even add in route prioritising based upon demographics and the value of the car; weathy people are deliberately routed to avoid poorer neighbourhoods etc.
Ah yes, I think that if supermarket delivery lorries could supply information about their routes to satnav manufacturers, a lot of stress could be reduced for everyone 🙂