Bosch puts trucks onto autopilot
Page 16
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Bosch has announced plans to launch a vehicle navigation system in this country by June next year. The system, called Travelpilot, will cost around £2,000.
For that money the operator will get a display unit showing the route to be taken, an electronic compass, a CD-ROM player for storing all road details, and a number of wheel sensors which will measure how far the vehicle travels. Together these components can provide a driver with detailed directions which are also very easily read, claims the manufacturer.
As with the Autoguide vehicle routing system being developed on a Department of Transport test scheme, Travelpilot should be easy to use. The driver simply keys in his chosen destination, and the system guides the driver using a map and directional arrows.
Travelpilot differs from Autoguide in two major respects, however. Firstly, all the information is given on the display unit — no voice synthesiser is used for spoken instructions. Secondly, because Travelpilot is map-based, and does not rely on beacons, it can cope if the driver takes a wrong turning.
Though Travelpilot and Autoguide differ, they are not incompatible, claims Bosch.