Find Anyone With Three Words

Thanks to technology, communicating while traveling has never been easier. However, when technological roadblocks intervene including blackout spots where data is anything but transmissible and the nearest WiFi connection is miles upon miles away, it can be difficult and nearly impossible to communicate.

A mobile app called what3words addresses this problem by using technology to deliver locations based on a global space of 3 meters by 3 meters. Globally, there are 57 trillion such spaces, each of which can be identified by one set of three unique words. Once the plug-in is installed on a smartphone, users can forego relying on numbers, addresses and GPS coordinates to locate a place or a person. Not only is it easier to locate someone or someplace, but it is easier to remember three words if and when data connection is lost, therefore making it more likely you will find someone based on their three-word location.

An internal algorithm labels location with three distinct words based on word length, frequency and ease of spelling, making them easy to understand and remember. Currently, the app recognizes and forms three-word locations in nine languages, with a new language added each month. Each three-word address is fixed and determined for a certain location, so it is guaranteed that two people who refer to the same set of three words will be able to find the same space.

Even if data connection is lost, what3words will continue to work, ensuring users will be able to report danger, the need for medical assistance or any other important message from both high-traffic and remote locations.