Now, go places with GPS- Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

Driver navigation systems, on the lines of London's Tom Tom, have now become a reality for drivers in Indian big cities, including Delhi. The navigators, as the gizmos are called, are fitted into vehicles and provide the driver turn-byturn directions of the shortest route to a selected destination.

So, gone are the days when you would have to stop the car to ask for directions to a friend's house on the way to a party or launch a hunt for the closest ATM or petrol pump in an unknown locality. For navigators come pre-fed with detailed city maps, complete with information on localities as well as conveniences like important landmarks, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, ATMs, and petrol pumps.

All a driver needs to do is punch in the destination on the LCD console , which can be mounted on the car's windscreen. The navigator first connects to at least three Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites in the sky through a GPS receiver fitted in it, determines its current location in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude and plots it on a city map fed in its memory.

It then automatically calculates the shortest and most convenient route to the destination and highlights it on the map. The map is displayed on the touch-screen of the gadget for the driver to see. It also has a voice system, which provides a turn-byturn commentary of directions as the vehicle is driven.

The navigator can be bought off the shelf from car accessory shops and is priced between Rs 16,000 and Rs 21,000, depending on the vendor and map quality. The cost is reportedly high because the hardware is very expensive. As volumes pick up, it is expected to become cheaper.

Vendors insist that the maps fed into the system are like its heart so one must ensure that they are detailed and accurate. `If the maps are not good enough, the navigator will not be of much use. We have a system of providing constant updates to keep our maps detailed and incorporate changes in road conditions. More cities will also be covered in the network ,'' said Rohan Verma, head, mapmyindia.com which is launching its GPS driver navigator on September 15.

It is a boon for tourists in a new city as it enables the driver to search for the nearest utility like ATM, petrol pump, hotel, restaurant, or place of interest. So there's no chance of getting lost. And if put in taxis, they can save commuters from being fleeced by drivers who take long routes to make more money.

The hitches: The navigators don't warn drivers of traffic jams or rightturns or U-turns which have been recently closed. But their developers say that the software is configured to automatically suggest an alternative route the moment it senses that the driver has deviated from the suggested route.

Also, like all satellite-based systems , the connectivity is low when the sky is not clear. So you can expect it to conk off during heavy rains.

The service is presently available in Delhi and NCR towns, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chandigarh , Panchkula, Mohali, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Kolkatta and Chennai. And it is selling like hot cakes. `We have sold 5,000 navigators in a span of just 90 days. By the year end, we plan to have maps of 72 cities on the gadget,'' said Pallavi Taori, Assistant Vice President of SatNav, a Hyderabad-based vendor.

As first reported by TOI on April 19, 2007, Delhi traffic police are also working on developing a similar system, which will provide updates on traffic jams, bad roads and diversions. Officials are presently working on updating Delhi maps to form the base of the system and expect to have the system in place before the C o m m o n - we a l t h games.

HOW IT WORKS

The navigator device, fitted with a GPS receiver, connects to a minimum of three satellites to ascertain its exact location in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude The location is plotted on a city map fed into the navigator’s memory and is displayed to the driver The driver then punches in the destination, which can be a locality, landmark or point of interest like nearest ATM or petrol pump, also pre-fed in the map The navigator calculates the shortest road route to the destination and highlights it on a map on display As the driver moves the vehicle, the device also provides turn-by-turn voice instructions of the route to be taken

PROS

The navigator provides real-time , turn-by-turn instructions on the shortest route possible for a destination on a map.

The system can use also give voice directions so the driver doesn’t need to look at the PDA and can concentrate on the driving.

The gadget comes with a charger that can be used in the car itself. Some models are removable too, so one can detach it to prevent theft.

The navigator makes driving safer as one doesn’t need to stop the car and ask for directions in an unfamiliar or unknown area.

If used in taxis, the way it is done in many developed nations, commuters can be saved from the drivers who take long routes to fleece them.

CONS

GPS doesn’t work well when the sky is not clear. So expect the navigator to conk off during the monsoon or even fog.

The system does not provide any information about roadblocks like traffic jams and diversions.

The maps only take into account the geographical features. So it can’t guide you to the exact address.

Updates to maps are all charged. So one will have to shell out some money to get the latest maps for the system.

The hardware is imported and comes with limited warranty. It also makes it expensive to replace parts of the gadget.

Like all new technology, the navigator comes at a price and appeals most to the tech-savvy drivers.