Summary Critical Analysis of What3Words Geocoding Algorithm arxiv.org
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What3Words is a controversial geocoding app that assigns three-word addresses to locations using a unique band system.
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Key Points
- What3Words is a geocoding application that uses words instead of coordinates to identify locations.
- The algorithm used by What3Words assigns three-word addresses to locations, with band zero being the most popular.
- The lack of context in What3Words addresses can lead to confusion between homophones, but efforts are made to remove homophones and spelling variations.
- Around two-thirds of addresses could be confused with another address due to mis-typing or homophony.
- The What3Words algorithm has been analyzed and found to have potential for confusion and errors, but the AutoSuggest feature partially addresses this issue.
Summaries
22 word summary
What3Words is a criticized geocoding app that uses words instead of coordinates. It assigns three-word addresses to locations using a band system.
41 word summary
What3Words is a geocoding application that uses words instead of coordinates for location identification. However, it has been criticized for being unreliable and confusing. The algorithm assigns three-word addresses to locations using a band system, with band zero being the most
335 word summary
What3Words is a geocoding application that uses words instead of coordinates to identify locations. However, it has been criticized for being less reliable than claimed, with a high chance of confusing addresses. This paper analyzes the What3Words algorithm and finds
The What3Words geocoding algorithm uses a band system to assign three-word addresses to locations. Band zero is the most popular and is primarily considered in this analysis. The algorithm factors the input into three integers (i, j, k) to
The lack of context in What3Words (W3W) addresses leads to a high potential for confusion between homophones. W3W acknowledges this issue and tries to remove homophones and spelling variations when selecting words for each language. However
The What3Words (W3W) geocoding algorithm has been analyzed in terms of its potential for confusion and errors. It was found that addresses containing homophones can easily be found in W3W. To address this issue, confusion
Around two-thirds of addresses could be confused with another address due to mis-typing or homophony, and a quarter of addresses have more than three potential confusions. The word list used by What3Words (W3W) does not
The critical analysis of the What3Words geocoding algorithm reveals two main findings. Firstly, a significant number of simulated addresses have one or more word triples that they could be confused with. The AutoSuggest feature partially addresses this issue but has limitations
The potential for confusion in the What3Words (W3W) geocoding algorithm can be reduced through established practices and the use of alphanumeric codes. However, the non-hierarchical nature of W3W addresses can lead to address confusion, making
Several sources have raised concerns about the What3Words (W3W) geocoding algorithm and its suitability for safety-critical applications. The algorithm, which assigns a unique three-word address to every 3x3 meter square on the planet,
The summary includes multiple citations and references to various sources related to geocoding algorithms. It mentions sources such as the What3Words website, a GitHub repository, scientific papers, and other online resources. The summary also refers to topics such as handling similar