Thursday 14th September 2017

Mercedes introduces what3words to sat-navs

Why 'nobody.ozone.critic' will take you to PH's front door

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Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to add the what3words geocoding system to its next generation of sat-navs when they launch next year.

Does this make sense to you?

What3words is a global addressing system which divides the entire planet into a grid of 57 trillion 3mx3m squares. Users can instantly locate the precise destination they need by entering a randomly assigned combination of three words instead of a longer, but less accurate, address or postal code. The words are then converted into coordinates, from which a route is calculated as it would be with a regular GPS.

In this way, delivery drivers need no longer waste time looking for the door to a block of flats - Mercedes makes vans and lorries too, remember - and drivers could even be guided to a specific set of parking spaces upon arrival.

The benefits of such a system are as plentiful as they are obvious. As the world grows, urbanises and develops, traditional city planning and mapping techniques can easily become insufficient. With over 600 streets named Juarez in Mexico City alone, it's easy to see how what3words provides a simple solution to a complex problem. Currently available in 14 languages, the company is working to allow even more people to take advantage of it and with the official postal services of countries including Nigeria, Tonga and Mongolia now utilising the technology, it surely won't be long before it makes its way here as well.

Coming to your Merc sat-nav next year...

This isn't the first time what3words has worked with the automotive industry though. Land Rover's ARDHI off-roading app uses the system to plot courses across some of the world's toughest and most isolated terrain, but this new partnership with Mercedes is undoubtedly a big step into the mainstream. Despite the chance nature of the words used, some locations - such as tedious.chariots.coast within the boundary of Silverstone - are, by happy coincidence, rather aptly named. Which begs the question, what three words do you think would best serve as your address of the future?

Watch the video here.

[RemarkLima]

Sadly I can't see the Royal Mail giving up its stangle-hold on UK addressing easily, the fact they still charge for services that are the fundamentals of business is still just bizarre.

That said, I'd love to see something like this knock them into the dust and force them to innovate again.

Having as sat nav would be handy - where can we find out what our what3words are for our address?

[RemarkLima]

Just found it - https://map.what3words.com/elaborate.formal.wipes

The resolution is pretty remarkable, 3 x 3 metres is plenty accurate for pretty much everything other guided missle strikes (i'd imagine)!

[SloaneSquare]

RemarkLima said:

Sadly I can't see the Royal Mail giving up its stangle-hold on UK addressing easily, the fact they still charge for services that are the fundamentals of business is still just bizarre.

That said, I'd love to see something like this knock them into the dust and force them to innovate again.

Having as sat nav would be handy - where can we find out what our what3words are for our address?

I think that you will find Mercedes are thinking more globally than just the UK with this offering, for countries that do not operate a zip or postcode metrics.

[Green1man]

This does seem a bit bizarre, I've just looked up our house and there are loads of different blocks I could choose that are on our land, not sure how you determine which one you would use. Also there seems to be no relation whatsoever between adjacent blocks, I guess just choose a memorable one.

Edited by Green1man on Thursday 14th September 13:08

[rodericb]

Seems a bit odd. Why is this better than something like decimal degrees?

[speedyspeed]

Am I missing the point but how is anyone supposed to know what 3 random words they are supposed to use to get the directions for the place they want to go?

[TheBALDpuma]

RemarkLima said:

Just found it - https://map.what3words.com/elaborate.formal.wipes

The resolution is pretty remarkable, 3 x 3 metres is plenty accurate for pretty much everything other guided missle strikes (i'd imagine)!

When are we invited over for tea? Not too far from me...

[tim milne]

RemarkLima said:

Sadly I can't see the Royal Mail giving up its stangle-hold on UK addressing easily, the fact they still charge for services that are the fundamentals of business is still just bizarre.

That said, I'd love to see something like this knock them into the dust and force them to innovate again.

Having as sat nav would be handy - where can we find out what our what3words are for our address?

Annoying as Royal Mail are, the postcode system has one clear advantage over W3W or any other computer-based system — it's possible to understand it in its broader sense, even if the finer details are best left to postmen. Two addresses in BN19 might be a few miles (and not hundreds) from each other.

The problem with these digital mapping systems is that they make us entirely dependent on them and the devices that deliver them and even though Sat Navs and the likes of Waze mean we don't think about where we're going anymore, I think to hand over awareness of even the basic relationships between places to the computers is a human error.

[Robmarriott]

tim milne said:

Annoying as Royal Mail are, the postcode system has one clear advantage over W3W or any other computer-based system — it's possible to understand it in its broader sense, even if the finer details are best left to postmen. Two addresses in BN19 might be a few miles (and not hundreds) from each other.

The problem with these digital mapping systems is that they make us entirely dependent on them and the devices that deliver them and even though Sat Navs and the likes of Waze mean we don't think about where we're going anymore, I think to hand over awareness of even the basic relationships between places to the computers is a human error.

Good point.

duck.table.flower could be in Nottingham
dock.table.flower could be in Sydney

If something is printed wrong on a label (or the label is torn) there would need to be a backup system, not necessarily postcode but maybe, I don't know... decimal based coordinates to a universally understood format?

[Boydie88]

The first square on our driveway has Gravel.Pythons in it. Claiming that one as the address.

Clever system though... can see a pretty profitable business in allowing people to buy the right to rename a square.

Edited by Boydie88 on Thursday 14th September 13:27

[phil1979]

speedyspeed said:

Am I missing the point but how is anyone supposed to know what 3 random words they are supposed to use to get the directions for the place they want to go?

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Richard-390a0]

I can see issues with this in a few years... You get into your driverless uber / johnny cab & say "my house please" & you arrive at a totally different destination lol.

[Krikkit]

speedyspeed said:

Am I missing the point but how is anyone supposed to know what 3 random words they are supposed to use to get the directions for the place they want to go?

Because they tell you? You can't divine someone you've never met's address from nothing either.

This sounds like a great idea if it catches on - no more ridiculous directions for parcels, just:

FAO: Fred Bloggs
w3w: spicy.pocket.stage

[IanCress]

My house contains the address moods.xxxxx.orders.

Moods and orders. Accurately describes living with the wife.

[Futse]

phil1979 said:

speedyspeed said:

Am I missing the point but how is anyone supposed to know what 3 random words they are supposed to use to get the directions for the place they want to go?

Exactly what I was thinking.

Same thing I guess as asking an address now. If I book a holiday house or hotel, I don't know the address by heart, it's given to me by the company/website/owner. In the same way they would give you three random words with this system. Makes it easier to put in the satnav. I guess that's the point. Unless I'm missing something as well...

[Robmarriott]

How does it compensate for typical human inability to spell?

Or if you live at where.ware.wear?

[JohnGoodridge]

Robmarriott said:

tim milne said:

Annoying as Royal Mail are, the postcode system has one clear advantage over W3W or any other computer-based system — it's possible to understand it in its broader sense, even if the finer details are best left to postmen. Two addresses in BN19 might be a few miles (and not hundreds) from each other.

The problem with these digital mapping systems is that they make us entirely dependent on them and the devices that deliver them and even though Sat Navs and the likes of Waze mean we don't think about where we're going anymore, I think to hand over awareness of even the basic relationships between places to the computers is a human error.

Good point.

duck.table.flower could be in Nottingham
dock.table.flower could be in Sydney

If something is printed wrong on a label (or the label is torn) there would need to be a backup system, not necessarily postcode but maybe, I don't know... decimal based coordinates to a universally understood format?

I agree with you if you think that something like W3W will become the only geographical language, however that does seem unlikely. Would make a good backstory for a dystopian sci-fi though.

[Pica-Pica]

SloaneSquare said:

RemarkLima said:

Sadly I can't see the Royal Mail giving up its stangle-hold on UK addressing easily, the fact they still charge for services that are the fundamentals of business is still just bizarre.

That said, I'd love to see something like this knock them into the dust and force them to innovate again.

Having as sat nav would be handy - where can we find out what our what3words are for our address?

I think that you will find Mercedes are thinking more globally than just the UK with this offering, for countries that do not operate a zip or postcode metrics.

There are not many countries that do not have postal codes, but voice input into BMW pro-nav with a building name and town got me to the place I wanted.

On the other hand it translated Llanberis (correctly pronounced) as cranberries, guess I will have to siarad Saesneg to it.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Thursday 14th September 14:30

Edited by Pica-Pica on Thursday 14th September 16:02

[RicksAlfas]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

It views the approach onto a roundabout as a left turn. That's the fundamental flaw with it. If you approach a roundabout from six o'clock and want to leave at 3 o'clock it tells you to turn left first which technically you are doing, but no right minded human being would consider it a left turn!

[AREA]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I'll second that opinion.

Anything to do with software is rarely a strong point for Mercedes. Coupled with Linguatronic input this is going to create a lot of amusement.


what3words? When I was a kid we learned to navigate with grid references or Lat/Long (from which you could of course work out distances and directions as well). Is what3words just further proof of how mankind's natural competence has peaked and actually we're going backwards?