Two-way communication and learning
In my view, the biggest improvements to GPS systems in the next few years are likely to be in the areas of learning, AI and communications. I am continually frustrated when my GPS system (a Garmin Nuvi 255W, since you ask) wants to send me along congested city streets, instead of taking the longer but quicker way on the freeway. What frustrates me is that the GPS system doesn't learn how quick or slow those streets tend to be at particular times a day. A system that learned and optimised as it went along what streets, or even what kinds of traffic features, tend to speed up or slow down traffic would be immensely useful. For example, in Melbourne, tram routes tend to be hopelessly slow, a fact that any human driver knows, but one that seems to elude my GPS unit.
We all know that GPS units are able to receive information from dedicated traffic channels, indicating current road conditions. It should be possible for GPS units to communicate traffic information "back to base", so that the traffic channel effectively receives aggregated real-time traffic information from GPS users themselves. Over time, the sophisticated model of traffic flows over the entire road system could be built up quite quickly. Such data would be extremely useful to road, public transport And housing planners, as well as to the oil industry and to statisticians.
Such information, of course, could also be used by map providers to verify their own map information and to accommodate short-term phenomena such as roadworks detours, and also to identify new roads in real time. Care would of course need to be taken to avoid adding private driveways to the model public highway system.
GPS unit as a source of in-car regulatory information
Gradually, it seems inevitable that more and more public datasets will be integrated into the map providers' POI (point of interest) databases. One dataset that would be particularly useful would be public on-street parking information, in other words, for each street, and for a given time, what the maximum parking period is and what are the conditions attached. Armed with such information, the GPS unit could navigate the driver to the nearest on-street public parking which is available at the applicable time and for the appropriate duration.
Similarly, the GPS system could display the location of all known traffic lights and, indeed, assuming communication between the GPS system operator, and the public traffic light control system, it would eventually be possible to display in real time the state of traffic lights even before they become visible to the driver. The GPS system could also display a recommended speed in order to arrive at the lights in a green state. Clearly, the GPS system is not the only possible means of displaying this information, but it is the most likely candidate for this job.
Interface issues
Voice recognition
Operation of a GPS system can be a dangerous distraction, if the results of a British survey are to be believed. I can in fact believe it, and have experienced first-hand potential distraction encountered while attempting to enter a route and drive at the same time. I dictate this blog using Dragon NaturallySpeaking dictation software. Version 10 is not perfect but it's a lot better than the layperson might expect. My guess is that GPS systems will feature voice recognition in the very near future. the main challenge will of course be accurate recognition of street names and other points of interest across a range of drivers who might wish to use any one system. Assuming these challenges can be overcome, interacting with your GPS via voice will radically improve your safety.
Head-up display
One problem that most GPS users encounter is the difficulty of finding somewhere to place the unit, which does not block the driver's view of oncoming traffic but which remains within reach. Assuming that voice recognition can remove the need to have a touchscreen within reach, the prospect of integrating GPS information with a heads up display (HUD) becomes more real. Already, some cars are available which project basic GPS information (such as next turn) on to the windshield. In future, the windshield will resemble a computer screen, on various parts of which is projected information such as speed limit, next turn, and traffic light and parking information as discussed above. At night, it might even be useful to drivers on dark highways to have projected an image of the road ahead in correct perspective.
In my next blog, I'll tackle GPS's potential use in dynamic road pricing.
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