The Rudder app provides walking directions based on the most well-lit route to a given destination. Created by two University of Michigan graduates, the Rudder app functions differently than most directions apps by running an algorithm that factors in the shortest best-lit path between two points, rather than just the shortest path.
Using street lighting data from the city's in which it operates, the Rudder app is currently in beta mode and enabled for cities including Seattle, Portland, Boston, Ann Arbor, Austin, Vancouver, Chicago and a handful more.
The beta mode is expected to launch in the iTunes store during the first week of May, while the team is working on adding a host of awesome features, such as the ability to share progress from your journey with friends and family.
Urban Night Light Apps
The Rudder App is Designed to Navigate a Well-Lit Path Home
Trend Themes
1. Well-lit Pathfinding - The trend of using algorithms to calculate the safest and best-lit walking routes between destinations presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in urban navigation apps.
2. Data-driven Navigation - The trend of using city-specific street lighting data to provide real-time navigation recommendations opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in location-based services.
3. Social Journey Sharing - The trend of enabling users to share their journey progress with friends and family presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in social networking and travel applications.
Industry Implications
1. Navigation Apps - The navigation app industry can leverage the Well-Lit Pathfinding trend to provide users with safer and more secure walking directions in urban environments.
2. Location-based Services - The Location-Based Services industry can capitalize on the Data-Driven Navigation trend by incorporating city-specific street lighting data to offer personalized navigation recommendations to users.
3. Social Networking - The Social Networking industry can explore opportunities within the Social Journey Sharing trend by integrating location tracking and journey sharing features to enhance the travel experiences of users.