Today’s navigation systems have steadily improved as we’ve gathered greater details about our world, and as we’ve added intelligence to these systems to deliver this information to meet human behaviors. The stress created by getting lost ranks way toward the top of all human anxiety, with the fear of getting lost often permeating our dreams, and debilitating our actions.
Getting lost when traveling in new or challenging road environments can lead to a great deal of stress that impact our health and relationships. In a business operation, drivers that are lost can mean significant disruptions in operations that mean lost revenue and lost business opportunities. Difficulties routing emergency personnel to the correct location quickly can mean the loss of human lives.
The delivery of highly accurate road network and navigation information for turn-by-turn navigation is a significant source of revenue as part of the overall geospatial market. Navigation devices have been one of the leading consumer electronics purchases of the past decade. But the revenues of both dedicated navigation device sales, and the underpinning navigation data, are both under assault by increasingly free navigation services on smart phones. Given these competitive forces, and the negative impact of being lost, it’s interesting to explore the value of never getting lost.
Those Willing to Pay
The unique demands of the logistics market that require highly detailed information for the delivery of goods, and a means to view the entire delivery operations to finely tune the operation, will continue to foster innovation by providing a significant portion of revenue to both device and data suppliers. These systems for businesses continue to improve their adaptive capabilities to take into account the dynamic impacts of traffic, and the cost and consumption of fuel. The time and dollars that these systems save well justify their existence, and their enterprise focus puts them beyond the reach of devices and directions for the individual. While the business space has seen a retraction of operation on the lower end, where free handheld navigation services may be adequate for smaller operations or the individual traveling salesperson or real estate agent, there are also broad opportunities among businesses that would benefit from more coordinated operations.
Within the military and public safety space, a similar story is told. These markets also have enterprise-level justifications where knowing the actions of the whole demands a higher level of networking and processing. The importance of the missions of security and safety also place a great stress on the accuracy of information that is delivered. Within the military space, there’s a willingness to invest in up-t0-date information, and even to push for better technologies to provide more insight into current conditions. Similarly, public safety require a trusted source, and the ability to mesh the locations and context of different first responders to varying degrees of emergencies.
Remote Assurances
There continue to be remote and rugged areas of our planet where cell phone coverage is spotty, and where a lack of human activity creates a great need for self reliance. Whether we’re exploring the wilds for recreation or performing remote field work, these areas demand a different level of insight into the terrain, and the ability to message our location and condition to others in case of emergency.
The use of satellite communications as an add-on to GPS navigation capabilities that has been first unveiled by DeLorme, provides a window onto where the remote navigation market is headed. The demands of remote locations does require a new set of navigation features to ensure that our routes through rugged wilderness are safe, and that our whereabouts are known. The bottom line for these applications area again personal safety, but the demands of remote areas are far different than the urban navigation market.
Making It Worse
Having recently navigated with the antiquated and inadequate Hertz Neverlost system, it’s hugely apparent to me that poor routing and directions can make matters of the automation of navigation much worse. This system was slow to respond and deliver information, particularly at the point of greatest road complexity, adding to the stress of navigating unfamiliar territory. And it’s precisely our reliance and assurance of the system that compounds the problem, because we place a confidence that precludes more traditional intelligence gathering of a map.
Without full confidence, or having been routed inadequately, we realize that there continues to be great value in the accuracy of navigation information, and the ability of navigation systems to deliver information in a way that speeds our travels and eliminates the stress of unfamiliar territory. With greater improvements to these systems, we increase our reliance and thus our recognition of value.
The underpinnings of navigation are speeding us toward a time when our business operations are highly streamlined; where location insight and precise routing make our first responders and military personnel more highly efficient; where we explore the wilds with confidence, knowing our route and knowing precisely where to avoid harm; and ultimately where our vehicles drive themselves thanks to our detailed understanding of road networks. Navigation has come a long way in the past decade, and our increasing dependence helps us realize how much more efficiency and ease of mind can be gained as it continues to improve.
