TracNav

Mapping & the GPS

A list of articles and news links related to the GPS and mapping technologies around the world. (Part of our list of Intelligent Transportation & Sentient Vehicles: Related Links.)

  •  EDINA Digimap Detailed OS data available for free to registered Athens users. No OS Master Map data though.
  •  GeoPostcode Contains a downloadable list of all valid UK postcodes.
  •  OpenStreetMap.org Open street mapping project whereby users contribute GPS traces and use an applet to draw roads on top of them. Individual journey traces can be downloaded from  here.
  •  US Military Country Files Contains files containing lists of locations of towns and other geographic features within each country, provided by the US Military's National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Apparently it is updated monthly.
  •  US Military State Files Contains files containing lists of locations of towns and other geographic features within each US state, provided by the US Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information Service.
  •  World Elevation Data Freely available database of elevation data covering entire globe, at a resolution of 90m, originally produced by NASA.
  •  Geographical Names Database A free geographical names database mapping names of places and postal codes to geographical positions. The data is editable via a Wiki. They collate this data from a number of other  sources.
  •  ERTICO ActMap ActMAP will concentrate on the development of methods to bring actualised map data from a map centre to a service centre, then into the vehicle, in order to be finally used by the in-vehicle application. This development will reduce the time currently necessary to have actualised digital map databases in the vehicle. ActMAP will not address how the actualised data are collected - it is assumed that this information exists.
  •  ERTICO FeedMap FeedMAP will study the commercial and technical feasibility of map data feedback using the ActMAP project’s map updating a standardised mechanism delivering map updates. Map data feedback is needed for detecting changes in the road network faster by using cars as map probes to check if the digital maps are accurate enough.
  •  MapQuest OpenAPI Access to web-based API for routing, and...? (Registration required for details).
  •  Public Participatory GIS PPGIS is about how GIS technology could support public participation for variety of possible applications. PPGIS is increasingly dependent on web based technologies.
  •  Microsoft's Plan to Map the World in Real Time Describes Microsoft's SenseWeb technology which associates sensors with geographical positions and thus provides real-time sensor data overlays on maps. Also has a flexible front-end search facility.
  •  Navigation System Learns Your Routes Navigation devices may suggest routes that do not match your tried-and-true paths. But the Pioneer AVIC-Z1, an in-dash entertainment and navigation system, will learn and follow your favorite routes, storing the information on the hard drive that holds its map data.
  •  Getting There An article about the history and science of driving directions.
  •  Comparing OnStar Turn-by-Turn to an Embedded System A driver pushes the OnStar button, and then tells an OnStar operator where he or she is going. In moments, the preferred route is downloaded to the car. The directions are displayed, in text, on the dashboard, and a voice and a chime prompts you to make the proper turns. Just that there are some glitches when compared to a normal system. But it is cheaper! See also  this article for another article evaluating the limitations of OnStar Turn-by-Turn.
  •  Navigation Device with Real-Time Updates Dash Navigation uses Internet connectivity to provide traffic condition and weather updates to its navigation device. As yet they have not announced whether connectivity is via a cellular phone channel or FM subcarrier bands.
  •  People willing to give up location-privacy "For example, you can synchronize your calendar with your GPS device and be alerted when you need to leave for an appointment, following a route that's been automatically generated based on real-time traffic conditions. Or you can be alerted when you are six blocks from a store that contains an item that is on your online shopping list."
  •  Monitoring traffic with aerial photos The system collects and evaluates a time series of wide area aerial images. From these pictures, current traffic dynamics for a particular location can be monitored in great detail, covering a large area (10 km x 2 km within two minutes).
  •  Real-Time Weather in Vehicles XM Satellite Radio provides route-specific weather that is dynamically updated as you traverse your route. Also provides real-time traffic updates.

  •  USA Considers Shutting Down or Replacing LORAN Telecoms companies use Loran and atomic clocks as backup to GPS in case of an outage, but atomic clocks provide only a frequency reference and not a time of day reference. Without accurate timing, network performance could degrade in between eight hours to three days.
  •  Nokia Smart2Go gives away maps for free The platform allows for mapping and routing in over 150 countries and has support for full turn-by-turn satellite navigation in over 30 countries. The application allows people to view where they are on a map, search for points-of-interests (POI) around them and create routes to get them there free of charge.
  •  Village Gets No Sat. Nav. Sign The sign warns that a lane through the village is narrow, and will not provide the quickest route from Winchester to Havant even if the satellite navigation thinks it does.
  •  Location-Based Taxi Advertising Ads on taxi roof and inside change depending on location (including changing the language depending on area of a city they are in!).
  •  Satellite navigation users at risk for false messages Off the shelf equipment used to transmit messages to their car satellite navigation system over RDS warning of conditions ranging from foggy weather to terrorist attacks, because RDS data isn't authenticated or encrypted.
  •  Google Maps Mapplets Reference Documentation on how to create your own content to go in an IFRAME that will then control the main Google map the user is viewing.
  •  Directions without a GPS unit Company allows users to call a voice recognition system that recognises where they want to go, and sends them a text message of directions.
  •  Commodity GPS Jammer 700 UK pounds will buy a GPS-signal jammer with an additional cellular networks jammer, preventing most vehicle tracking technologies from working.
  •  Don't Use Sat. Nav. Sign Village in Wales erects pictorial sign attempting to get HGV drivers not to heed their satellite navigation system's prompts to use a tiny village road.