CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Computers, GPS, 'Smart' 'Phones

"Navigation Made Simple"

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    "

    BeeLine is a handlebar-mounted device that helps you find your way on a bicycle. It strips back navigation to the bare basics, turning convention completely on its head and resurfacing your natural instinct to find the way.

    Instead of a prescribed route, we believe a sense of direction is all that’s required to keep you homing in on your destination, leaving you to decide which turns to make. So BeeLine just points you in the right direction, like a smart compass.

    Controlled by your smartphone, BeeLine is simple to use, intuitive and affordable. Take charge of your ride and discover new places in your city.

    "

    https://beeline.co

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. Snowy
    Member

    I can certainly envisage BeeLine users finding new places in their city...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. SRD
    Moderator

    See also https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/onomo/haize-a-compass-reinvented-navigation-for-urban-cy

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. Arellcat
    Moderator

    On the face of it, it's basically a handlebar-mounted compass that requires batteries and might be hard to view in strong sunlight, but a sort of compass where it knows where you actually want to get to.

    If you arrive at your destination does it spin round and round and round? :-)

    I think, though, that it might be more suited to the geographic derivé than wayfinding in the one-way mêlée of city centres in which unexpected can't-go-that-way routing is rife. My planned route to Park Circus in Glasgow the day before PfS went right out of the window as turn after turn wasn't allowed, and I ended up going up Pitt St, which I'd expressly wanted to avoid!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. wingpig
    Member

    Perhaps it could deal with bright sunlight with an audio variant which shouts "warm" or "cold" and so on every time you make a turn.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. cb
    Member

    "BeeLine navigation system could revolutionise how we cycle in cities"

    By making it much worse?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    No one else puzzled that two so similar ideas on kickstarter at the same time?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. wingpig
    Member

    YEARS ago there were two almost-simultaneous posts on halfbakery.com for GPS shoes.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. Roibeard
    Member

    Unfortunately such navigation doesn't work in a three-dimensional city such as Edinburgh.

    When scouting universities with my father, I did successfully navigate to within 40 feet of where we agreed to meet.

    Unfortunately the 40 feet were vertical...

    Robert

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. DaveC
    Member

    I like Robert's idea of meeting on North Bridge and Waverly simultaniously!

    This of course won't work and its much more helpful to see a route in context, and I can see this leading to turning left off George IV bridge!! or those idios who drive down railway lines blindly following their GPS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE A MAP on the GPS!!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. steveo
    Member

    I'm just waiting on the first person to find them selves on the tram tracks at Haymarket Yards. The road seems to follow the tracks whilst it really turns off on a sharp left.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. Colonies_Chris
    Member

    The LB journey planning website doesn't understand 3 dimensions - see for example S Bridge to Niddry St; it recommends getting off the bus on South Bridge and walking along Niddry St/Cowgate. Perhaps you're meant to use the lift in one of the buildings on SB.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. Neil
    Member

    Is this an American invention? I can see it working well in a city built on a grid structure. Using it to navigate In Edinburgh....not so much.I always struggle to get to Stockbridge from the city centre, despite knowing what direction I'm heading in :P

    Posted 8 years ago #

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