New Navigation Tech - What3Words

The article below identifies a new type of navigation that Lotus may be adopting.  What3Words uses three words to identify your exact position.  While it's hard to imagine that this will improve on what we use, I will admit that every Uber and Lyft driver who has ever come to my house, always ends up 100 ft. past my driveway.  (My house faces an intersection, and those apps seem to think that my door 'pointing' at that intersection means that's where I live.)  However, I was less-than-pleased to see that my What3Words address starts with 'Uninformed'.  I was surprised to find that the assignment of words in an address seems to be random - that is, my entire street does not appear to start all addresses with 'uninformed', with the next two words zeroing in on the specific 3m x 3m square.

what3words.com/news/automotive/lotus-announces-what3words-navigation-in-all-cars-from-2022/?fbclid=IwAR1o1if3mMCSiht5OuJ_MqoUypoN6ttW5mDENUKlO3Ex2b_7VLpdt_I5XYg

According to someone I know, who has long experience in the navigation industry, this could be very useful - but more so in countries other than the US.  Each address identifies a 3 meter-by-3 meter square.  This can be useful for areas with bad address markings, or off-road, or along interstates.  It could also be helpful if you want a delivery to your back door, rather than your front door.  Also, this probably works MUCH better with voice-response NAV systems.

See what this address brings up:


what3words.com/hotspots.punters.race

Interesting, but I'm not sure this is the ultimate answer for the U.S.


--Bob Collum