An App for Navigating While Walking

A new app called Walc makes navigating while walking easier to do. Even more ambitiously, Walc aims to make it easier to make the choice to walk, rather than drive.

1 minute read

December 18, 2015, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"A navigation app called Walc, designed for pedestrians, was built on the idea that someone walking could use different directions than someone in a car," according to an article by Adele Peters.

Peters quotes Allison McGuire, founder of Walc, for insights into the concepts behind the pedestrian navigation app. McGuire makes this excellent point: "Time passes differently when you're walking—all of your senses are engaged and you gravitate toward visual cues to guide your way…You measure distance with time, blocks, steps, and even calories burned. When you're driving, you look out for signs and measure distance in miles."

So instead of receiving directions to turn north, the app uses more readily apparent landmarks, such as, for example, a McDonalds or a Starbucks, to provide its directions. Another helpful feature of the app: "With a new hands-free 'pocket' mode, you can leave your phone in a coat or bag and listen to directions as you look around, instead of staring at a screen."

Tuesday, December 15, 2015 in Fast Coexist

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