"Turn at the Monument": Yandex Maps Speaks to Drivers More Simply and Clearly

AI selects prominent points on the route to avoid missing the right turn

Now the navigator will explain the way even more simply. Instead of a dry "turn right," the driver can hear a prompt like "turn right at the store" or "in 200 meters, keep left at the monument." The Yandex team has updated the Yandex Maps and Navigator services.

The system takes into account more than 10 thousand landmarks across Russia. These include buildings with signs, gas stations, bus stops, and other easily noticeable points.

Artificial intelligence analyzes the route and determines where such a prompt would be appropriate. That is, the application does not just follow a diagram, but tries to explain the way through objects that the driver actually sees around.

Irina Gracheva, head of the Yandex Maps service, explained that on complex and unfamiliar routes, the usual command "turn right" is often not enough.

According to the company, if a driver fails to orient themselves and misses the right turn, they can lose up to 15 minutes on the way.

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