A curious phenomenon called 'Etak'
A pioneering 1980s in-car navigation system called Etak, which predated GPS, is being revisited as an example of how far ahead consumer tech experiments once were. Commenters unpack its engineering—vector CRT displays, high-speed cassette-based map storage, wheel sensors, gyros, and “augmented dead reckoning” that snapped positions to mapped roads—many of whose ideas underpin modern navigation apps. The conversation also branches into earlier and parallel efforts (military map-matching, Bosch and Navteq systems), the cultural origins of the name from Polynesian navigation, and broader questions about technologies that arrive before the market or hardware is ready.
Hardware & UI Design
- Device used a CRT vector display, giving crisp, angular line graphics; commenters compare it to oscilloscopes, Vectrex, and early arcade games like Asteroids and Star Wars.
- Vector was seen as the obvious choice: maps are inherently vector; raster of the era was low‑res, memory‑hungry, and hard to rotate. Color vector was technically possible but too costly.
- Some participants recall internal sensors: wheel rotation, magnetometer compass, gyro, and inclinometer, all pre‑solid‑state and mechanically elaborate.
- Several people love the aesthetic and wish modern sat‑nav apps could emulate that simplified, vector‑style UI.
Navigation Technique & Map Matching
- The system used dead reckoning plus “snapping” to road vectors when turns occurred to bound sensor drift.
- Commenters note this is essentially “map matching” and debate whether Etak truly “invented” it; earlier public and classified work on similar ideas is cited.
- Modern navigation apps are said to still snap positions to roads and to blend GPS with inertial/other signals, especially in tunnels.
Name Origin & Polynesian Navigation
- The name “Etak” is tied to a Micronesian dead‑reckoning method using mental “reference islands” that move relative to a stationary boat.
- Long subthread on Polynesian navigation: use of stars, ocean swells, “reading” waves, stick charts, and oral traditions.
- One side romanticizes the sophistication; another claims much voyaging was drifting driven by overpopulation. Multiple replies strongly dispute this, citing repeat voyages and robust navigational practice. Overall: contested but leaning toward recognizing high indigenous expertise.
Media Format & Tape Engineering
- Cassette map data reportedly used 1/4‑inch or compact cassettes running at ~80 inches per second, ~40× audio speed.
- Commenters are skeptical but locate multiple 1980s documents confirming that high speed and multi‑megabyte capacities.
- Some express a desire to reverse‑engineer the tape format and render new maps.
Legacy, Related Systems & Viability
- Etak is framed as 15–20 years ahead of its time: technically brilliant but expensive, complex, and commercially constrained.
- Links and anecdotes mention contemporary or earlier systems (Bosch EVA/TravelPilot, Siemens prototypes, Navteq kiosks, avionics, military systems).
- Several recall working later at companies that inherited Etak tech (map engines, data, tooling) and staff; Etak alumni appear in later mapping efforts.
- Debate on whether such “too early” products are necessary innovation steps vs. wasteful “sci‑fi” projects; some argue patents can reward early pioneers, others argue patents mainly block later execution.