In most modern cars and S.U.V.s, dashboard navigation systems help motorists plot a road trip, give them a route to client meetings or lead them to their children’s away soccer games. But where is a Lamborghini Huracán driver headed?
Wherever that may be, a new navigation system starting in 2022 models will help get the car there — and hopefully with greater certainty. A console-mounted app called What words are coming to these 'Lamborghini', and it will be the first of its kind to incorporate Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa feature.
Previously available in other cars, but without Alexa, the What words system divides the world into 57 trillion 10-foot (3-by-3-meter) squares and assigns each a unique three-word address code randomly chosen from a customized standard dictionary.
The Huracán app is significant, said Chris Sheldrick, chief executive of What words, which is based in London. “So many drivers struggle with inputting the address and wind up at the wrong location.”
Aimed at enhancing both the speed and accuracy of car navigation systems, What words are said to overcome common issues such as duplicate street names. To cite a few: There are 367 Park Streets in California; Australia has 521 George Streets; and in Greater London, there are 14 Church Roads.
“Traditional addresses often aren’t suitable for voice input,” Mr. Sheldrick added, “and a lot of the time, the best spots don’t have any addresses at all.”
For example, a Huracán driver wishing to view San Francisco Bay from the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge would first call up an image of the bridge on the What words screen, then identify the coded, 10-foot square corresponding to that location. After voicing the code aloud — in this case “scar-milk-focus” — the driver would follow Alexa’s guidance to that exact spot.
The navigation system is part of Lamborghini’s push to meet customer expectations beyond horsepower. This year reportedly will be the company’s last to offer internal combustion engines only — in 2023 it is expected to debut hybrid models, with all-electrics coming later in the decade. (All of this technology and prowess may be paying off for Lamborghini, which in 2021 posted its best year ever, delivering 8,405 cars.).
We start with the car and its driver, said Luca Girding, head of connectivity for Lamborghini. “The Huracán links computer software and hardware in ways that enhance that relationship. What words allows greater focus on the pure driving experience — without the distraction of being uncertain whether you will arrive at the correct destination.”
Mr. Sheldrick, a former music promoter and organizer, developed What words in response to frequent address difficulties faced by his touring musicians. For example, he recalled an incident in Italy when a driver unloaded a truckload of instruments an hour north, rather than an hour south, of Rome. On another occasion, a frantic keyboard player called him from somewhere in London and said, “Don’t panic, Chris, but we may have just sound-checked the wrong wedding.”
Mr. Sheldrick contacted a school friend who is a mathematician in hopes of developing a system that would be as precise as GPS latitude and longitude coordinates, but easier and faster to use. Shortly after their talk, the friend created the application’s first three-word address algorithm on the back of an envelope.
“Lamborghini is a trailblazer in being the first to implement this system,” said John Scumniotales, Alexa Automotive’s head of product. “They certainly won’t be the last. We’re excited to see how this partnership progresses.”
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