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TomTom to Add Video to GPS Units?

by Tom Conlon on July 5, 2007 at 04:14 PM

TomTom to Add Video to GPS Units?

A recent filing with the European Patent Office reveals that navigation pro TomTom is working on a GPS unit that will overlay directions on top of a live video feed from a camera in your own vehicle. The idea of seeing the directions on top of what's really there in front of you is kind of cool ... but is there a point? Wouldn't that be much more distracting than simple, streamlined graphics?

But, this is just a patent, and not an indication of a future product. It'll be interesting to see what becomes of this technology -- if it's used solely for the purpose described above, or if there are other uses. For example, will it record? If it did, parents could use the system to monitor the driving behavior of their children. Or, it could be used to determine who's at fault in an accident. Better yet, imagine TomTom putting together something similar to Google Maps Street View, but with user-generated video instead of photos.

From Engadget

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Tags: garmin, gps, navigation, satellite, tomtom

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