Adios
...
I was wondering why such small squares. Accuracy of 3m isn't needed for emergency services. But of course this is for automation. Royal Mail partners with what3words to trial drone delivery | what3words
What Three Words
- Thread starter Dutch01527
- Start date
bedouin
Well-known member
My concern about what three words is the (lack of) any form of error correction. Mistake the singular for the plural and you end up half a world away.
Mark-1
Well-known member
Which has drawbacks, but also the advantage that it's inbuilt sanity checking.
In a crazy coincidence I needed breakdown assistance today and have some real world w3w experience.
Firstly, surprisingly, many of the squares near me were either a bit embarrassing to say or lengthy and hard to spell. I had to click on 7 or 8 before I got one I fancied saying. Eventually I found a suitable one.
Next issue was the map requires data. Of course you don't need the map, you still get the grid, but it's a very reassuring verification of the position. I could have used maverick with local maps to double check. As it happened the map loaded but it was a source of mild anxiety.
In the event the breakdown service let you report online. You get a recorded voice menu, press the appropriate digit and receive a link which uses the phone GPS to locate you. You never need to communicate your position to a real person, so in that context, with data, it's totally redundant.
Caraway
Well-known member
As long as they come to the square you gave, they will see you.
Mark-1
Well-known member
I also suspect that predicting the tidal drift of a casualty is bread and butter for the SaR people.
Medway Matt
Active member
What do you propose would be a better system?
penberth3
Well-known member
The answers are in the thread somewhere. We already have Lat/Long, OSNG or simple directions relative to a known location.
Adios
...
As its entirely reliant on data and complicated apps anway I would say a better way would be a 999 SMS messaging service (more likely to work with minimal signal) sending position coordinates provided by the in built GPS system which doesn't rely on phone signal and a choice of emergency messages similar to an MMSI sos call. Could have a button on the lock screen with some feature to prevent accidental activation inc calling back to confirm by which time the emergency service already has the location so help could be on the way. People could have medical information if they chose, programmed in the phone already, to be included in the SMS message: allergies, illnesses, medication they are on etc.
The reason its not hard to come up with a better solution for emergency use is this three word thing isn't primarily designed for that, its a selling point but its going to be more about automation.
TernVI
Well-known member
The phone directly giving position data to those agencies that need it.
This could be checked against the mobile carriers cell data.
newtothis
Well-known member
I'm pretty sure W3W's original raison d'etre was dealing with places in the world where the streets literally have no names; townships in Africa, favelas in Latin America, etc. It was hoped it would help small businesses, aid efforts and so on. I don't think it ever claimed to be a maritime location service and its use as an emergency positioning device in first world countries, where people can still sometimes not accurately locate themselves (country roads, up hills etc), has become a secondary, but useful feature.
But yes, most sailors will have fifteen different devices on board that can say where they are to within a gnat's nadger.
But yes, most sailors will have fifteen different devices on board that can say where they are to within a gnat's nadger.
Adios
...
Like the geographical genius working for the Daily Mail who drew this up today? It amazes me how something so basic and required for every day functioning is so lacking in so many people
harvey38
Well-known member
A great system, I'm a glider pilot so when the weather doesn't quite work as well as expected and I land off site, I can call up the club, give them my three words and a retrieve crew can find me very easily, as others have said, it's fine as long there is a signal!
Medway Matt
Active member
In the post I was replying to, Gary Fox asked (and I'm paraphrasing here so apologies for any inaccuracies) what about those people without access to the mobile phone technology and excluded through poverty. Which I think is a considerate question since we shouldn't assume everyone has the same opportunities or advantages in life.
However, if someone doesn't have access to a suitable mobile phone how likely are they to have access to any other GPS receiver and Comms system? And since OS is exclusive to the UK its grid system is unlikely to be much use anywhere else.
Furthermore, mobile phone networks tend to be very good even in undeveloped countries, possibly more so than in developed countries, since there is often little in the way of wired networks. Basic smart phones are pretty cheap but still capable, I suspect the average Malian (or wherever) isn't that bothered about having the latest iPhone or folding Samsung but an old LG with a five day battery life is just fine thanks.
newtothis
Well-known member
To be fair, I'm not sure I'd be able to locate Southport or Walsall on a map. But even I'm pretty sure Brizzle isn't in Wales.
Medway Matt
Active member
Good idea, much like the red button on a DSC radio in some ways, but I'm not sure how well it would work in undeveloped countries where society tends to be rather chaotic.
Medway Matt
Active member
Yes but what about users who don't have an official capacity and therefore won't be able to be provided with that information e.g. AA/RAC?
Mark-1
Well-known member
What three words *doesn't* required data to give the current position in W3W format.
TernVI
Well-known member
I think in the US, there was talk of people opting in to allowing certain services to access their position via the phone signal, or touching an icon on the screen to send it.
TernVI
Well-known member
This is true, the app generates 3 words from the GPS position offline.
But communicating that to anyone lese generally requires a phone signal.
SMS will work when phone signals are very weak or in high interference conditions.
Much more reliable than speaking 3 incoherent words.
You have the possiblity of the originator misreading the words, the recipient mishearing or mistyping them.
Adios
...
yes like DSC thats what i was thinking of when I wrote MMSI. If the service was offered and integrated on the phone and emergency services it should work for the people who have the device in any country. Some tech will be needed to make use of the 3 words way as well. In fact in remote places its more like the sea where any old maps will have lat and long on them already so that will be more reliable as a starting point, have more redundancy, than an app that relies on battery.