How GPS Should Work: A Horizon-less Manhattan

This is pretty cool: London creative design consultants Schulze & Webb wanted to explore the best way to visually navigate through dense cities. What they came up with is now called "Here & There," and it lets you simultaneously and seamlessly view a city from the point of view where your are standing and from a bird's eye view in the sky. Why? "Because the ability to be in a city and to see through it is a superpower, and it's how maps should work."

Schulze & Webb have already projected Manhattan, New York with their mapping innovation. Two maps look uptown from 3rd and 7th, and downtown from 3rd and 35th.

The maps are at once useful and beautiful and, realizing this, Schulze & Webb have made prints of their projection maps available for purchase. Get a set of both 3-foot by 2-foot limited edition prints shipped to the US (shipping is included in the price) for $65.

They've also realized the potential of their horizon-less Manhattan in GPS devices:

The whole project is a pretty great way to experience how new technology, in this case 3D modeling animation, can re-shape all aspects of our lives, like picking up a map from the glove box to figure out where you are.

Via BoingBoing Gadgets

Comments (6)

I love the look of these. It seems like a much easier way to navigate through an unknown city.

posted by modernguy on May 11th 2009 at 11:28am
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i agree, this is a great idea. saying you're at such and such cross street really doesn't mean anything if you're unfamiliar with a city. this way you can at least give yourself a better understanding of location.

posted by Matt. M on May 11th 2009 at 1:36pm
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I don't understand the benefit over the classic birds-eye map view. You can still rely on reality to show you what it will look like from the driver's POV.

posted by amt230 on May 12th 2009 at 11:16am
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amt230--

It's a very special kind of "I know that I'm going the right way" feeling that comes over you when your real-life POV matches up with a POV simulation on a map or screen.

posted by tarynevelyn on May 13th 2009 at 1:34pm
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This also gives perception of distance other than by feet or miles. I think this is awesome. Especially for walking.

posted by Baxatax on May 15th 2009 at 11:00am
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They look beautiful indeed. I would totally hang them on my wall.

posted by souk1501 on May 15th 2009 at 7:21pm
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