Internet of Moving Things

A new smartphone app is now available that’s designed to improve urban mobility using data and information from vehicles and people as they move around. The free app combines mapping, visualization, analytics and reporting functions to automatically generate directions and provide augmented reality views of how to navigate.

A unique X-ray mode uses the smartphone camera to superimpose maps, bus routes, trains and stops over an image of the city as the user views it. It offers online and offline access for use even when connectivity is limited, and gets smarter with every trip. The same service can also help municipalities better understand how commuters are utilizing public transportation systems, identify inefficiencies and reduce congestion.

The app is a product of a new kind of database called a space-time engine which addresses many of the problems associated with mapping data in motion, such as inaccuracies, inadequate information and poor signals. Obvious applications for the system include delivery and logistics services, as well as a carpooling tool that would allow users to identify fellow commuters along their route. The data-intensive mapping service is currently available for 20 U.S. cities plus Toronto, Vancouver and Singapore, with more cities being added.