Magellan Takes Navigation Off-Road
If you love slogging through the backwoods or traversing mountain trails, Magellan has something for you.
The mapping company’s Off-Road Vehicle Navigation Platform allows you to plan, track and share your trips off the beaten path.
Magellan Takes Navigation Off-Road
Revealed at the TU-Automotive Detroit trade show earlier this week, the new product is available to automakers and power-sports manufacturers right now. And it’s getting attention from some big names in the business. “We are working with Jaguar Land Rover,” said Mark A. Perini, associate vice president of marketing at Magellan. Some of their technology has also been chosen by supplier-company Bosch.
Magellan has mapped trails in all 50 states and across the provinces of Canada. Also included are things like 3D terrain details and elevation lines; borders for national, state or provincial parks; service roads to and from these places; the location of scenic byways; and even user-provided trail information.
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“It’s like a crowd-sourcing of the maps,” said Perini. Members of the community can plan trips add picture or comments and keep track of their “dirt miles.”
Users can suggest a change to the map data if, for instance, the trail they’re on is steeper than advertised. The can also comment on a section of road that’s washed away or even point out a picturesque location that others might like to see.
But the social aspect of this goes even further. Community members can share posts and pictures to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram directly from the Magellan ORV app, which will be available on iOS and Android.
Supposedly the Off-Road Vehicle Navigation platform is compatible with major automotive infotainment systems including Weblink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. At the OEM level it can be branded by an automaker to deliver a custom experience.
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Of course this navigation system could be useful to other outdoors enthusiasts as well. Hunters, anglers and campers will probably find it valuable as well.
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Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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