How Clever Are Those Germans?

This certainly is no Big Deal.

But I thought it was interesting.

This is a picture (don't worry; it was taken when I was stopped on the shoulder of the road) of the SatNav display in the instrument cluster of a new Porsche Boxster.

It shows the 401 interchange I take every time I drive into The Big Smoke.

Now the normal route when coming southbound on 25 to follow Highway 401 eastbound into Toronto (what the road signs say you should do) is to take the on-ramp to the right, swing around on what we used to call a 'cloverleaf' - that would be the white circular piece of road below and just to the left of 'Chisholm Drive' in that pic - and join the highway.

But the route Porsche's SatNav is indicating suggests turning left heading towards the commuter parking lot (which isn't shown on the map) then continue onto the on-ramp from northbound 25.

This is in fact the route I often take, if the traffic lights look right, because you can gain a few seconds, especially if you would otherwise be following one of the multitude of huge, slow gravel trucks we have to put up with in our neighbourhood.

Can't beat local knowledge, right?

But how would Porsche's SatNav system know this?

I can only assume that the system integrates all possible routes, determines which is the shortest, and presents that route to you.

Clever, eh?

 

Comments

[Dubya]

My Garmin does that as well. Must use the same database.

But with the poorly timed lights on "Hwy" 25, I would always be waiting for a left turn across traffic at that light.