| We have a serious problem brewing with GPS | | | | tract, which you can see but the devise |
| navigation systems for automobiles and even | | | | insists, does not exist? Then there are |
| motorcycles. There are however problems with | | | | problems in areas like Cape Coral, FL and |
| this devise as a high tech toy are more | | | | Tehachapi, CA or El Paso, TX and Knoxville, |
| serious than you might think. Ask anyone in a | | | | TN where the roads have been scraped and |
| metro area who has bought a new car with one | | | | ready to put in or put in but do not connect |
| of those cool GPS upgrades for their SUV or | | | | or have nothing there yet. Of course it is |
| new sports car. We have had our customers | | | | very aggravating to see a road and try to go |
| complain (customers of the carwash business, | | | | down it and find it is a dirt road that |
| which is my profession). Oh they love the | | | | connects to nothing yet or an entire |
| gadget, but they are under whelmed by the | | | | sub-division that does not exist? Is it a |
| lack of data and streets, which are not | | | | Mirage? If so where is the white Tiger |
| listed. You see we have been seeing | | | | Show?Jack Dangermond of ESRI had set up |
| incredible suburban growth in many cities. | | | | entire networks of software makers who |
| Places near large DMA metros are a problem | | | | developed data for their awesome software |
| out in the middle class suburbs. In many | | | | products for GPS and GIS needs. Used by |
| areas such as outside Chicago, Los Angeles, | | | | government, military, utility companies, |
| San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, | | | | transportation companies, private companies |
| Portland, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Austin, | | | | with GPS units to sell to the public, First |
| San Antonio, Nashville, Kansas City, | | | | Responders and school districts for buses. |
| Minneapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, Baltimore, | | | | After the Dot Com crash those software |
| Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Miami, Orlando, | | | | companies were among some of the survivors, |
| Atlanta, DC Subs, etc. And in NJ, NC, NV, OH | | | | but had significantly cut costs. Thus without |
| lots of other fast growing growth | | | | the proper data the GPS systems bought by the |
| pockets.When GPS devises for cars first hit | | | | upper, upper-middle and middle class for |
| the scenes at the CES and SEMA shows in 1996, | | | | their cars were not always good enough to |
| they became increasingly more popular, | | | | support the price point for the newest |
| powerful and better data. But like VHS and | | | | technology. This is especially upsetting |
| Beta, Apple and IBM, competition became | | | | since the upper, upper-middle and middle |
| increasingly greater causing much | | | | class citizens who pay the most taxes live in |
| consolidation in the industry along with | | | | the suburbs for the most part. The chances of |
| patent fights. Much of the technology was | | | | a middle class American; who bought a home |
| former Defense Contractors peddling their | | | | during the 3 years last housing boom; not |
| wares through subsidiary consumer level | | | | being able to find their house or street on |
| companies. But the tight market remained due | | | | their new GPS devise is a higher probability |
| to the costs. Meanwhile companies like | | | | then them actually finding it. We interviewed |
| DeLorme and others tried to flood the market | | | | one man who bought a new Nissan Sports |
| with low priced GPS units, which made things | | | | car.Who lives in a newer developed area in |
| even more competitive. And the bugs were not | | | | the higher end Las Vegas, Clark County |
| fully out of the system yet. Someday all cars | | | | Suburbs, which only had the main streets on |
| will drive themselves and people can watch | | | | his GPS and had huge blank spots on his |
| TV, do video conferencing and use their | | | | device? Some GPS devices allow the user to |
| transportation as a portable office or | | | | choose a satellite vendor and data vendor and |
| entertainment system while they are being | | | | software, but many of the Factory units do |
| driven to the location they have punched into | | | | not. People think they are getting something |
| their computer. Some things will have to | | | | really good and then find they cannot use it |
| occur before this is a reality of course. But | | | | to navigate, which would really piss you off |
| eventually your dexterity skills to actually | | | | considering you may have paid as much as |
| pilot a car will be worthless and | | | | $6,000 for the unit. Even more dangerous is |
| un-needed.First the satellites will need to | | | | the information we learned from an EMT |
| be laser aligned and use multiple satellites | | | | ambulance driver in Dallas area who told us |
| to get absolute locations of ground items and | | | | of looking for streets for 15-20 minutes |
| vehicles. The cars will need to have | | | | after battling through suburban gridlock to |
| additional anti collision devises made up of | | | | get to where they thought it might be. 3G |
| networked sonar and optic flow sensors. All | | | | cell phone technology may assist for those |
| of which are now available and the technology | | | | using cell phones to call in data to the |
| is getting better and better. Many military | | | | dispatches. For all the training we are doing |
| applications today will be civilian tomorrow. | | | | across this nation for first responders and |
| Just like Radar, Microwave ovens, Nuclear | | | | on-going education of police, fire, Hazmat, |
| Energy, Cellular Phones, Satellite | | | | etc. it appears that we have forgotten the |
| Communication and Jet Aircraft in Commercial | | | | problems of the system. Any time you build a |
| Aviation. The flow of transportation will be | | | | system to serve humankind you must make it |
| brought to the next generation to serve man | | | | simple and make it work, that should be the |
| better.For the time being the incremental | | | | first, the very first priority, then you can |
| changes in these technologies has hit a | | | | fix all the other issues.With that said we |
| slight road block even though Honda, GM, | | | | interviewed a lady recently one evening who |
| Ford, Mercedes, Daimler Chrysler and Toyota | | | | had a hell of a long day working for the |
| have invested billions in anti-collision and | | | | Metro Police Departments Central Nervous |
| safety devices which they will add comfort | | | | System. The communications center and |
| and desirable options which they can sell to | | | | dispatch is to what we are referring. |
| customers as upgrades. Smart Car Technologies | | | | Although she was unaware of the problem at |
| can add Thousands of Dollars to the price of | | | | the center for bad data or missing data in |
| a car and consumers are glad to pay for them. | | | | the system, she could not say how they were |
| A factory GPS system with display can cost up | | | | able to get the information. Luckily serving |
| to $6,000.00 and they sell a lot of them on | | | | a metro area they are probably connected to |
| the higher end cars. It is a high profit item | | | | the planning departments computer, which they |
| upgrade, although there are some, which only | | | | should be. And if the police department has |
| cost $1000. And if you wish to compare these, | | | | the new data and no problem in this case, why |
| some are very incredible with many features; | | | | have the software vendors not been able to |
| .There are many companies, which sell after | | | | access the data? It is a safety issue if |
| market computer assist items. These companies | | | | someone with a GPS system pulls out a map and |
| are doing quite well and the systems work | | | | tries to read it while driving in an area |
| great. The big issue is just because you have | | | | they are not familiar with. It is guaranteed |
| a super duper incredible GPS system, does not | | | | that in the history of the automobile in this |
| mean the street you are looking for is even | | | | country more people have been in serious |
| on the map yet. In other words it is like | | | | traffic accidents from trying to read maps, |
| using an old map. If you are a studier of | | | | than talking on cell phones, although cell |
| maps like I happen to be, you will see the | | | | phones no doubt a contributing factor in many |
| problem with older maps. Even some companies | | | | lesser accidents will eventually pass this |
| keep printing old map data year after year | | | | figure. Where the streets are, well frankly I |
| without adding in new on ramps, city streets, | | | | cannot understand the need to keep this a |
| infrastructure freeway improvements and | | | | secret unless it is the layout of Area 51, |
| ring-roads, it is aggravating for those from | | | | Prison, Power plant, Pentagon grounds, |
| out of town. Even more aggravating looking | | | | Military Bases, etc. |
| for an address or street in a new housing | | | | |