New software for sat-nav devices will ease motorists' approach to busy, complicated motorway junctions, writes SHANE O'DONOGHUE
MOTORISTS TACKLING the infamous Red Cow roundabout in Dublin – and other potentially confusing junctions where major traffic arteries intersect – will soon have an easier time thanks to a significant development of the software and mapping that underpins the majority of satellite navigation units.
Navteq, a company that provides digital map, traffic and location data for use in sat-nav systems and online mapping, has announced the release of Motorway Junction Objects, a three-dimensional visual aid to tackling complex motorway intersections.
Although the technology was initially applied only to Australian roads, Navteq has now released updates for 6,000 locations throughout 10 countries in Europe, including Ireland and the UK.
“Our proprietary research has shown that consumers want visual features that help make driving easier, but not more entertaining,” explains Frank Pauli vice president, map and content products EMEA.
“They value visual cues that enable split-second recognition of the situation in order to manoeuvre through the junction with confidence. Motorway Junction Objects meets that demand and expands our growing portfolio of visual content.”
Although Navteq has released an example image of Motorway Junction Objects in operation, the company’s software is utilised in many different systems so it will appear in different forms. Depending on the hardware, a clear image should be displayed on the screen indicating to the driver the correct lane in which to approach the junction.
Three levels of detail are available and the map can be viewed from different angles, depending on the user’s preferences. Availability of the new function will vary from system to system, but it’s likely that the first sat-nav devices to feature Motorway Junction Objects will arrive on the market within a few months.
Navteq has also released Traffic Patterns and real-time traffic monitoring. The Traffic Patterns database holds information on typical traffic speeds on primary and secondary roads, which allows satellite navigation system programmers to develop more useful re-routing applications.
While nine European countries are included in this data (and 11 in the real-time monitoring), Ireland is not yet included, although there are plans to extend the data set.