7 — Navigation
Nav screen of the BMW 5 Series | Photo: BMW
Long before GPS systems appeared, Honda developed a navigation system in 1981. It used a gyroscope with two wires and a helium jet to determine the vehicle’s position. The Electro Gyrocator worked with map overlays instead of digital markers. The dot on the screen showed your current position, and all calculations and direction of travel were done by a 16-bit computer.
The more commonplace GPS system as we know it today has it beginnings at Mazda in 1990. Today, everything or just about is found within our smartphones and can be transferred directly to the vehicle's multimedia screen, technically models don't even need to offer navigation anymore. So it goes with technological progress…
Nav screen for the Mini Cooper Countryman | Photo: Mini
Navigation screen | Photo: Nissan