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?
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