More TomTom news from its Amsterdam launch event today, this time a technology in development to eradicate the uncertainty of commuting on our traffic-packed roads and provide the most accurate possible estimate of arrival times.
The core idea is that many commuters are very familiar with all the different route options on their daily drive. They therefore see turn-by-turn navigation as irrelevant.
However, due to variable traffic conditions, getting a handle on which route will be quicker on a given day is a real headache. So that's what TomTom's new Commuter Concept technology aims to provide.
"TomTom has unparalleled knowledge of the traffic situation across the entire road network." says Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director of TomTom Consumer. "Many commuters face a daily driving dilemma, never knowing for sure which of their regular routes will be the fastest. The TomTom Commuter concept will eradicate uncertainty and enable daily drivers to make informed decisions."
Something for your smartphone?
The technology is at the concept stage, so details are a little thin on the ground. In terms of what you see in the car, it's a small pod with a circular display that attaches to the dash.
We're thinking something along the lines of a cloud-based personal profile that includes timing and routing for your typical commute and combines that with some smart algorithms and TomTom's HD traffic service.
Put them altogether and it's easy to imagine a context-aware system that knows where you are and where you're heading without you having to tell it and automatically keeps you updated om traffic conditions and your best route option.
It's actually the sort of thing that would work well as a smartphone, negating the need for a dedicated device. Watch this space.