Cnet has an article on the mapping company Navteq at CES. Navteq has started collecting lidar data using its own system which is called Navteq True. The idea is to construct 3-D models of cities in the the United States. When combined with other data, this will allow users to better navigate their surroundings. From the article:
The move spotlights the growing trend to create detailed computer models of the world through ground-based, aerial, and satellite photography. Second Life’s virtual world still attracts some users, but a computer representation of the real world is useful to a broader audience. GPS navigation devices are one obvious way, but people also increasingly use mobile phones to find out where they are and what’s nearby.
Just remember to use your head and not to follow your GPS blindly.
