Landing somewhere exactly is sometimes a difficult thing. For really extra precise location information, the “what3words” app has divided the world into 3×3 meter squares and assigned a specific word to each one. That sounds weird, but it works pretty well.
“Come on, let’s meet in some.quiet.flowers”. This is a sentence that seems strange – but if you put this combination of words in the app what3words enters, it navigates to a green meadow in Aschaffenburg’s Schöntal Park. And what if someone else is already sunbathing in “manchen.quiet.blumen”? “seins.pfanne-reiter” is only three meters further and still has space for the picnic blanket.
The three-word combinations sound absurd, but they form a very sophisticated system for very precise location information. The creators behind what3words have divided the world into 10-by-10-foot squares, each with a unique three-word address.
“what3words” is practical for the stadium and for the beach
In many cases this is quite handy. For example in large, confusing places such as parks, soccer stadiums and shopping centers or even on a wide beach. Every location can be pinpointed with an accuracy of three meters.
The three-word addresses can also be used, for example, to describe individual staircases in larger houses. In case of doubt, this is a little more accurate than locations sent via messaging apps. The place names are fixed and do not change when streets or houses are rebuilt.
This is also the result of the TECHBOOK test. There are two opposite entrances in our publishing building. In the past, this often led to confusion among guests. This is exactly where the exact location is a great advantage.
However, the system is not quite perfect, because even small spelling mistakes could cause confusion. “some.quiet.flowers” is the meadow in Aschaffenburg – “some.quiet.flowers” with one N less, on the other hand, is a tree in the pine forest near Zehdenick (Brandenburg).
Does the whats3words app cost anything?
what3words is free for private users, only companies have to pay a small fee if they want to convert the what3words address into GPS coordinates. In addition to delivery and driving services, emergency services also use the navigation service to quickly find emergency callers or locations. The use of three different words helps to avoid misunderstandings and facilitate coordination, especially when communicating about exact locations.
Also interesting: This is the story behind Google Maps
What is the advantage of what3words over Google Maps?
The advantage of what3words lies in the clear and precise location information, because not every location has a street address with a house number. The three-word location is easier to use via smartphone or voice control than GPS coordinates with longitude and latitude. Google Maps, on the other hand, is an advantage as a map and navigation tool when planning routes using different modes of transport. The navigation function of Google Maps is therefore integrated into the what3words app and can be accessed via the directions function to arrive at a three-word address.
With material from the dpa