All Navigation Systems in Asia to Feature 3D and Photorealism by 2011, According to ABI Research

NEW YORK--The next enhancements to appear in personal navigation systems will be 3D and photorealistic graphic displays, and by 2011, these will feature in 100% of such navigation products in Asia. Western Europe won’t be far behind, and by 2012 will see a penetration of 90-95%. Of the world’s major industrialized regions, North America will show the slowest and lowest uptake and will not approach 100% penetration in the foreseeable future, according to a new study from ABI Research.

“The reasons behind these regional differences are not hard to find,” says research director Mike Ippoliti. “3D and photorealistic imagery is most useful in urban environments, and North America’s wide open spaces and grid-plan cities mean less need for such displays.”

Not every device will feature full street-level realism of the kind delivered by Immersive Media’s car-mounted, dodecahedron-shaped, 11-camera video capture unit. For the moment at least, that kind of detail is found mainly in desktop-oriented applications such as those created by Google and Microsoft. The vast amount of data needed to render a wide geographic area in photorealistic 3D means DVD or hard disk storage, or at least a fast broadband connection. This functionality will eventually find its way into handheld navigation devices with the advent of “connected navigation,” which is the subject of another upcoming ABI Research report.

As entertaining and informative as these “you are there” renderings may be, there are places they should not be used. “Automotive manufacturers offering built-in navigation are steering away from 3D/photorealism,” says Ippoliti, “because all that glorious detail could distract drivers. For the most part, while driving, ‘less is more’: what you want is a simplified interface, except perhaps at a difficult downtown intersection where a view of prominent landmarks could help negotiate a path through.”

The new ABI Research Brief, “3D and Photorealistic Navigation,” (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/research_brief/Automotive_ Infotainment_Market_Update/107) analyzes drivers and inhibitors of this market, profiles market participants and forecasts growth trends for the adoption of this feature through 2012. It forms part of the firm’s Automotive Infotainment Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Automotive_Infotainment_ Research_Service. (Due to their lengths, these URLs may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations supporting annual research programs, intelligence services and market reports in broadband and multimedia, RFID & contactless, M2M, wireless connectivity, mobile wireless, transportation, and emerging technologies. For information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.