When Chris Sheldrick learned that the concert material had been sent to the final part of Rome in the southern part area, he knew that little had to change. The error occurred due to a mixed number in a complicated GPS location.
Location services for remote areas around the world were too complicated with these long strings of numbers, so he and Mohan Ganesalingam developed the idea of a new address system called What3Words. Today, the family finds more revolutionary uses for technology.
What is What3Words?
The What3Words system divides the cosmos into a grid of fifty-seven trillion squares measuring three meters across. Encode the geographic coordinates in three English words for each three-meter square. For example, Alamo in Texas has a What3Words address of “lived.serves.slice”. Buckingham Palace in London is located at “fence.gross.bats”
What3words is different from most other location coding systems because it doesn’t rely on long strings of numbers or literature. Given that What3Words uses recognizable words, there is less chance of making mistakes. In fact, the developers intentionally designed the operation so that similar-sounding words are distant from each other in the world. If any input error occurs, it will be obvious to the favored one.
It is podium in a fixed operation and not in a data base that contains all the locations on earth, so it works on devices with little storage capacity and those without an Internet connection. The grid system is permanently fixed, so there is no need to renew the code.
The system is now habitable in twenty different languages, including some of the most recent: Indonesian, Zulu, Japanese, Korean, and Hindi.
Using What3Words
If you want to explore What3Words, they offer apps for iOS and Android, as well as an API that converts distance and longitude coordinates to your three-word address.
To get the app, download it from Google Play Where App Store.
You can use the app to discover, wake up and share a three-word address and get directions.
When you shelter the app, it will locate your phone and give you the three-word address of your present location. It is more accurate than Google Maps. For example, What3words gave me my exact location as far as my house, but Google Maps said it was between my driveway and the neighbors.
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You can zoom in and move the tracker to see the three-word addresses as they change for each square.
To share your location, tap the “Share” bell on the word counter and share it however you like. If you touch the route icon and choose a route app, you can get directions to that location. There is no built-in navigation app. The system will still be podium in other apps for directions.
Uses of What3Words
Today, what3words is already being used by organizations in underdeveloped countries. It facilitates the provision of medical care to the sick and relief supplies in disaster areas. There are several countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Mongolia that use the what3words address system for their mailings.
Even if you live where postal addresses are easily used, there are some uses for what3words that you might want to try.
Use what3words to share the exact delivery point where you live or work. As drone deliveries become more common in the coming years, providing your What3words address will become more accurate. This system reduces the risk of ending up at your neighbor’s house down the street because someone entered the wrong number in the address.
You can also use it to give locations. If your car breaks down on the road with no discernible waypoints, send the three-word address to a friend. They can use the What3words app to get directions to find it.
Send the three words to your friends to organize a meeting area, event or festival that may not have a specific mailing address. Include the what3words address on invitations or announcements.
To get around, use the three-word directions found in some travel brochures to find the exact location of things like landmarks or natural wonders.
When searching for more remote locations, use it in navigation applications like those found in some vehicles like Mercedes-Benz. You will find places outside the global with just three words.
You can even use the 3motphoto app to circumvent the precise location where you took a photo so others can brighten up the panorama.
The future
What3Words has its critics. They say that a private company should not control addresses because addresses are infrastructure. They believe that the What3Words team is using a closed, proprietary approach to mapping the world and trying to become the norm.
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The possibilities of such a system are certainly exciting to explore. Even if What3Words becomes a standard for addresses, it will probably be a while before it replaces traditional addressing. I may never do. But remember, the company considered appending numbers to Revolutionary Homes at some point.
Finally, it could be a much better way to meet up with a member of the group at the amusement park.
“Drone delivery”
