Proposal for the Development of a Standalone Device for Waze

Purpose

The following is an engineering proposal focusing on how a standalone GPS device could solve Waze’s energy consumption and versatility issues.

Summary

Looking at Waze’s large user community, a major complaint that keeps surfacing is that the application requires a significant amount of power and data consumption from cellular carriers.  Since the app is continuously collecting and processing data, more so than Google Maps, the result is a faster battery drain causing the app to freeze making it unusable.  Additionally, there were reports that Waze was crashing if you had the app open for a significant amount of time and in order to troubleshoot, you would either restart your phone or the app itself.  One proposal to fix this conundrum is to produce Waze on its own standalone platform.  This idea would have the benefit of not draining cell batteries requiring them to be constantly recharged thereby lowering the lifespan of them.  An additional advantage would be making it safer for drivers so that they would not have to fidget with their phone by toggling between the Waze app and other phone features while driving.

Introduction

Waze is a community-driven map app that was developed by an Israeli company which Google obtained in 2013.  Its main purpose is to save drivers time by developing accurate maps with instantaneous updates.  This is because of its most significant feature, the community user base, which ensures timely and accurate data.  Waze collects data from its users by using the speeds calculated by GPS signals, which could either be submitted manually or automatically as people travel.  Users can also notify the community about road hazards, closures and police presence.  Due to Waze’s many features, it drains a significant amount of battery life from mobile devices, requiring constant charging.  One solution to solve Waze’s energy consumption problem is by developing Waze’s own standalone GPS device, such as Garmin’s devices, so that it does not utilize the cellular phone’s battery life or data usage.

A standalone GPS navigator is an alternative option because it is created for a sole particular purpose, for navigation, just like how your phone is primarily made for calling ot texting.  This proposal will delve further into this proposal and its benefits.

Results of Research

A standalone GPS unit can be an advantageous alternative, rather than using a smartphone for trips, especially on long journeys off the beaten path.  This is view is expressed by a New York Times article called The Best Car GPS by Rik Paul, an automotive editor for Wirecutter and Consumer Reports.  A cell phone operates well if you have a mount that holds it in a place that is easily visible.  However, if you are planning to drive in rural areas or off the beaten path, where data coverage is fragmented, you may not be able to get directions through your phone given the limited data service, forcing you to resort to a paper map or stopping someone to ask for directions.  At the same time, on long road trips, navigating with your phone depletes its battery life or racks up data too quickly.  This article even mentions that “it’s frustrating—not to mention potentially dangerous—when your phone’s screen switches from the nav display to an incoming call just as you’re reaching a tricky interchange (and, yes, we missed our turn)” (Paul, “Who should get this” section).  This is just one example of how using your cell phone for navigation has its challenges rather than using a stand-alone GPS unit.

Furthermore, a GPS device gets around a phone’s connectivity limitations by storing all the navigation and points-of-interest data onboard.  The best standalone GPS devices also make navigating easier than with a smartphone app thanks to more-natural, landmark-specific voice directions and displays that clearly illustrate highway signs and what lane to be in while driving on many freeways.  The article also illustrates that these devices “also typically show the speed limit for the road you’re on, and the best models include a variety of locally based driver and safety alerts that you don’t get with a phone” (Paul, “Who should get this” section).  This further demonstrates that a standalone device for a GPS has an advantage over a mobile app on your phone because it reduces the struggle in finding internet connections while saving your data and battery life on your mobile devices.

Thirdly, many navigation companies are looking for better features to integrate into their current GPS systems making it more convenient for their users during their journey.  According to another New York Times article by Eric A. Taub, an author, called What Stand-Alone GPS Devices Do That Smartphones Can’t, the standalone GPS is gaining more attraction by users all over Europe.  This is due to the fact that many of them are looking for methods to avoid smartphone and data roaming charges when crossing international borders.  Navigation companies such as TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan are trying to evolve by creating new devices that offer additional features while focusing on addressing the negative aspects of using your mobile device as a GPS navigation system.  These three companies are currently offering new units with simpler touch-screen interfaces along with faster GPS positioning, detailed 3-D graphics, and turn-by-turn directions in where the voice speaks the street name or other identifying information.  One example of this is that Garmin and Magellan are offering GPS standalone units with integrated dashcams.  Integrating dashcams provides a useful tool for users such as when they are involved in an accident and allows them to view the video sequence and several seconds before the incident before uploading it to the navigation webpage.  This is the third reason why a standalone device for Waze should be developed because many people want new useful features that help them safely get to their destinations while providing them additional capability that an app on their cell phone would not have the capability to allow.

These articles provide evidence that supports the proposal for developing a standalone GPS device and why it might be an optimal solution to solving Waze’s energy consumption problem.  If such a device was developed for Waze, users would not have to worry about their cell phones losing battery life and the amount of data consumption used.  On most plans, after a threshold amount of data usage is reached, data speeds slow down which would further slowdown the Waze (and other) apps.  It would also solve the problem of where there are limited cellular signals which would halt the navigation feature of the app.  The standalone device idea may also have the benefit of encouraging more people to use Waze more which would increase its community user base, helping it to fulfill its main purpose of saving drivers time by developing accurate maps with instant updates.

Assembling / Budget Analysis

Task 1: Reaching Out

Developing a standalone GPS device would require partnering with a manufacturer of such devices.  It would be necessary to collaborate with a company that has experience in building such devices and multiple quotes would need to be collected to choose the best one to partner with.  Waze already has a history of partnering with others to improve its functionality. According to an article from VentureBeat by Paul Sawers, an author, called Waze Integrates City Data-Sharing Program with Google Cloud, Waze is data sharing with Google Cloud so that it is easier for users to interpret data more to non-experts.  According to the article, Waze made partnerships with private bodies, like the traffic management platform Waycare, which gathers data from countless sources, including connected car platforms, telematics, road cameras, and etc.  At its core, the CCP (Connected Citizens Program) has been helping cities improve infrastructure projects while enabling Waze to improve its own navigation app and the CCP’s value to other potential partners.  The article goes on to state that with Waze collaborating with more partners, such as cities, they would “be able to access the full gamut of data warehouse analytics and visualization tools offered by BigQuery and Data Studio” (Sawers, Paragraph 7).  By collaborating with other companies, Waze can optimize its platform for its large user base as well as benefiting the companies it is partnering with.

Task 2: Design & Budget

For Waze’s design and cost of its own standalone device, it should be a similar concept to Garmin’s devices such as the DriveSmart 51 NA LMT-S.  According to an article from Mashable called: 15 of the best GPS devices for your car or motorcycle by Rudie Obias, an author, companies like Garmin specialize in safe car travel and update their maps and traffic reports whenever changes occur on the road.  They also provide a peace of mind that you will never get lost, even if you are in a new location.  Furthermore, they can also help you find the nearest restaurants, shopping mall, rest area, and other points of interest that might be considered remote.  Additionally, he gave a list of fifteen GPS devices for vehicles that are convenient to travelers.  The best device used for daily commuters Obias claimed is the Garmin DriveSmart 51 NA LMT-S.  It costs less than two hundred dollars and features a five-inch touchscreen that connects to your smartphone through Bluetooth to give a hands-free option to place phone calls, read text messages, and get calendar reminders without taking your eyes off the road.  The article also mentions that this GPS also comes “with free lifetime updates, so you’ll always feel good about getting to your final destination safe and sound” (Obias, section after Paragraph 4).  If Waze would look into other companies for ideas of their own standalone device, this would allow them to significantly improve its software and versatility while learning what was considered useful features in other devices.

Another design that Waze could use for its standalone device would be a similar concept of Garmin’s DriveLuxe 51 NA LMT-S, as seen in the image below.  According to a review article called Garmin DriveLuxe 51 NA LMT-S Review by Suzanne Humphries, an author, Humphries wrote about her thoughts of this device and that some of its best features would attract travelers who are looking for convenience when traveling.  The cost of this device is also less than two hundred dollars.  One of the best features of this system, she claimed, is its free lifetime traffic alerts, which alerts the user of any nuisances or hazards that could slow travelers down.  Additionally, since this device is paired with extensive route avoidance functions, the DriveLuxe 51 gives users the most efficient route to their preferred destination.  Another feature this device that could help many users when travelling by car is voice-activated navigation.  According to the article, this feature “allows you to speak commands to the device, allowing you to keep your hands on the wheel and eyes focused on the road” (Humphries, Paragraph 3).  Maybe if Waze included features from this device such as the voice-activated navigation to its future standalone device, this would provide an additional beneficial feature for its user community.  It could also improve its versatility so that travelers could easily program their own points of interest and add multiple stops to their journey which in turn would automatically create the most efficient route.  The best part is that this could all be accomplished while the driver keeps their hands on the wheel rather then tapping on their phone thereby taking their eyes off the road.

From the information I have provided, for Waze to integrate into a standalone GPS device, it could look into companies such as Garmin who have already developed their own devices.  What would make it unique is the software powering this device and what really sets Waze apart from its competitors.  The final cost for this device should run around one hundred and ten dollars, ten dollars less than what the Garmin device is selling for on Amazon.

Conclusion

Overall, a proposal to develop a standalone GPS device for Waze to solve its energy consumption problem is an idea that should be considered given the limitations of the current model.  It would have the advantage for users by not damaging the phone battery due to constant use of power and recharging.  Data consumption would also be saved resulting in faster speeds given the monthly data threshold would not be reached.  Finally, it would be safer for drivers since they do not have to fidget with the device if it was on a phone or losing connectivity, causing crashes or other nuisances from other apps.  By partnering with other technological or manufacturing companies such as Garmin, they could help Waze develop its own standalone device.  They can also provide additional support on how the program should be integrated to the device itself, so that it is convenient for every traveler, even ones travelling to remote locations.  The cost, given what is currently available on the market, should be less than two hundred dollars and ideally be between one hundred and one hundred and twenty dollars.  Should this proposal be implemented, users would have the option of a stand-alone device or continue to use their phone, depending which option would be ideal given their travelling plans.

References

Humphries, Suzanne. “Garmin DriveLuxe 51 LMT-S Review.” TopTenReviews, TopTenReviews, 29 Nov. 2019, www.toptenreviews.com/navigation-gps-garmin-driveluxe-51-review.

Obias, Rudie. “15 Of the Best GPS Devices for Your Car or Motorcycle.” Mashable, Mashable, 15 Dec. 2020, mashable.com/roundup/best-gps-devices/.

Paul, Rik. “The Best Car GPS.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Oct. 2013, www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-car-gps/.

Sawers, Paul. “Waze Integrates City Data-Sharing Program with Google Cloud.” VentureBeat, VentureBeat, 1 Oct. 2019, venturebeat.com/2019/10/01/waze-integrates-city-data-sharing-program-with-google-cloud/.

Taub, Eric A. “What Stand-Alone GPS Devices Do That Smartphones Can’t.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 July 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/07/16/technology/personaltech/what-stand-alone-gps-devices-do-that-smartphones-cant.html.