News Release

A 'personal assistant' satnav on your mobile phone could be available now

Business Announcement

National Physical Laboratory

London 2nd April 2009: Some of the UK's leading experts in satellite navigation confirmed today that the technology to create a personal navigation device replacing your phone, satnav, traffic news, road signs and public transport information is available now. But they warn that fears over the privacy of personal data and the existence of "information silos" are slowing down progress to market.

Experts representing mapping organisations, satnav device manufacturers, the motor industry and academia were speaking at an event organised by the Location and Timing Knowledge Transfer Network, the UK government's body to foster innovation in satellite navigation.

The panel agreed that future developments in satellite navigation could include applications such as:

  • A mobile phone style device that plots your journey from "door to door" not just "car park to car park". This could including public transport options, latest traffic news, rerouting suggestions and up to date mapping information
  • This device could slot into your car (where your satnav would be) and also give you information about lowest carbon routes, most economic routes and be able to provide information to your insurance company that you are a safe and careful driver
  • Future satnav devices could include more information from the highways infrastructure – such as roadworks and temporary signage – all instantly updated to the driver

Bob Cockshott, Director of the Location and Timing KTN, believes that these advances are technically possible now but that two factors stand in the way of adoption.

"In future all this information could be on one device. The main two issues are concerns over privacy – that is who would have access to your data and how would they use it. The other block is bringing the information together from different parties and sharing it over technical platforms. Today this can sometimes mean literally retrieving roadwork information from filing cabinets because some systems have not caught up with modern technology."

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Speakers at the event included experts from:

Ordnance survey, Road Angel, MIRA, Loughborough University's Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute and City University.

For further information please contact: Jim Sutton, Proof Communication, 07969 631 499, jim@proofcommunication.com Richard Moss, Proof Communication, 07866 624 613, richard@proofcommunication.com


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