How many of you remember Knight Rider on TV in the 1980s? It starred David Hasslehoff as Michael Knight, a sort of vigilante fighting criminals. He was aided by his car Kitt, that had AI features, here is an overview:
Knight Rider was an American action crime drama television series created and produced by Glen A. Larson. The series was originally broadcast on NBC from September 26, 1982, to April 4, 1986. The show stars David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a sleek and modern crime fighter assisted by KITT, an advanced, artificially intelligent, self-aware, and nearly indestructible car.
It had satellite navigation and we all thought “yea right that's never gonna happen”. However it had already been invented in the 1950’s and used by the US military in the 1960’s.
The first satellite navigation system was the Transit system, which was launched into orbit by NASA in 1960. The Transit system was developed and operated by APL and was used by the US Navy to provide positioning for their Polaris ballistic missile submarines. It was in use from 1964 to 1996.
The first in-car navigation system available to consumers was Etak Navigation, which was released in 1985. Etak Navigation used digitized maps that were streamed to the system from tape cassettes.
The first production car with a built-in GPS navigation system was the Mazda Eunos Cosmo. General Motors also introduced a built-in GPS navigation system called ONIS, which was initially available in Avis Rent A Car vehicles in Florida in 1992.
Precision GPS navigation became available to the public in 2000, and GPS-supported technology is now used in many devices, including smartphones and cars.
Sat Navigation
You need me on every journey
To show you the way you should go
Without my expert direction
An A to Z you would have to follow
Navigation, I’m Sat navigation
My voice can be changed in an instant
I can be whoever you want
A man who is very assertive
Or a girl with sweet dulcet tones
For drivers I’ve solved all their problems
No need to ever get lost
unless you’ve not updated my system
Then you could end up counting the cost
Navigation, I’m Sat Navigation
Proceed on current road
Watch out don’t squash that toad
At the roundabout take the third exit
To the channel tunnel (before it’s Brexit)
Don’t worry I’ve got Euro maps loaded
No problem getting back from Calais to Dover
Oops do a U turn where possible
The route your on is impractical
Your trying to trick me and test me out
But I’m a sat nav and there is no doubt
That my robotic intelligence is second to none
Hey watch out you nerd you’ve overrun
This narrow lane and I think we’re done
Your wheels are spinning on a narrow cliff ledge
Proceed on current road.and don’t fall over the edge
Navigation, Sat Navigation, Ahhhhhhhh!
From ‘Rhymes and Reasons’ 2021
Rick Varden (aka the Urban Poet)
Sat Navigation
You need me on every journey
To show you the way you should go
Without my expert direction
An A to Z you would have to follow
Navigation, I’m Sat navigation
My voice can be changed in an instant
I can be whoever you want
A man who is very assertive
Or a girl with sweet dulcet tones
For drivers I’ve solved all their problems
No need to ever get lost
unless you’ve not updated my system
Then you could end up counting the cost
Navigation, I’m Sat Navigation
Proceed on current road
Watch out don’t squash that toad
At the roundabout take the third exit
To the channel tunnel (before it’s Brexit)
Don’t worry I’ve got Euro maps loaded
No problem getting back from Calais to Dover
Oops do a U turn where possible
The route your on is impractical
Your trying to trick me and test me out
But I’m a sat nav and there is no doubt
That my robotic intelligence is second to none
Hey watch out you nerd you’ve overrun
This narrow lane and I think we’re done
Your wheels are spinning on a narrow cliff ledge
Proceed on current road.and don’t fall over the edge
Navigation, Sat Navigation, Ahhhhhhhh!
From ‘Rhymes and Reasons’ 2021
Rick Varden (aka the Urban Poet)
4 comments:
A very interesting and well researched blog.
A good read. I must confess I never saw Knight Rider. And I've never had a car with satnav in it. I look up where I'm going on an old-fashioned map. I can see its application in complex aeronautics or navigating at sea or in space, but not for driving from A to B. And per your poem, it can mislead. Call me old-fashioned.
I did watch Knight Rider and Kitt - progressive at that time. Regards Sat Nav now - I'm so bad at directions I am grateful for the technology. :) Fun poem
Blimey, maps from cassettes. The things I learn on these blogs.
Fun poem.
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