Vodafone, TomTom partner on a collective wisdom traffic service

Participatory traffic navigation moved up another gear today with the announcement from TomTom and UK-based wireless operator Vodafone that they have developed a traffic data service for the Netherlands that relies on data transmitted in real time from Vodafone cell phone handsets to static base stations. This collective wisdom, which gives a continuously updated stream of information on the approximate locations (and therefore speeds) of the handsets, is then used by TomTom to alert drivers to probable traffic jams and congestion areas.

The partnership is the latest in a trend of devices and applications that rely on cars as individual nodes that communicate with each other and/or a central network location to pool information on traffic and other travel-related topics. Other recent examples of "navigation 2.0" include: the Dash Express, a navigation system that enables cars with equipped with the system to anonymously report their traffic conditions to other devices in the area; Honda's Internavi Premium club, a service rolled out earlier this month that lets drivers tag points of interest with comments for other drivers to read; and Nissan's partnership with Japanese wireless operator NTT DoCoMo on a trial "intelligent transportation system", which lets cars communicate with each other to deliver real-time traffic maps to in-car navigation screens.

Source: Reuters