American self-driving car company Cruise Automation shook San Francisco Bay Area with the unveiling of its self-driving car on January 21, 2020. Dubbed the Cruise Origin, the rectangular 6-passenger electric vehicle is set to be a breakthrough in automobile technology.
Prior to this big reveal, Cruise actually had its Instagram followers scratching their heads about their sudden content wipe-out and the cryptic posts that followed.
Cruise Automation posted 9 photos, each containing different geographic coordinates. Some speculated that these are related to upcoming expansions, while others thought that this was a scavenger hunt of some sort.
Those are actually the coordinates of these 9 interesting locations that are somewhat related to the technologies used in Cruise’s new development.
Location 1: Xinmi, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
With a caption declaring that innovation is our true North, Cruise posted the longitude and latitude of a place somewhere near Xinmi, Zhengzhou, Henan, an industrial district in China. It is said that it may be in relation to the compass, which was created during the Han Dynasty sometime in 2016 BC to 220 AD.
Location 2: Building in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
This particular structure in this Welsh town actually sits on the location of the first locomotive run in the world, which happened in 1804. They aptly included a caption that tells people that they can veer away from the track.
Location 3: Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz, Germany
Located in Ladenburg, Germany, this privately-owned museum showcases the work of German automobile engineer and engine designer Karl Benz. He is famed for making the first practical automobile.
Location 4: Thomas Edison Museum, New Jersey
The world knows famed inventor Thomas Edison for inventing the lightbulb. So, posting the coordinates of the place where he supposedly worked on it conveys Cruise’s declaration that they’re moving forward to a brighter future.
Location 5: San Francisco
Well, this is a no-brainer since it is the location of the big debut.
Location 6: Foundation Guglielmo Marconi, Italy
Guglielmo Marconi is known as the inventor of the radio and was recognized for his research on long-distance radio. So, it’s no surprise that Cruise’s content team wittily captioned it with something about cutting through the static.
Location 7: Kleinrock Internet History Center at UCLA
Cruise tells the public to never stop searching for what’s next through posting the coordinates of the place that a lot of people are thankful for—the birthplace of the Internet, Kleinrock Internet History Center located at UCLA.
Location 8: Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)
With this groundbreaking technology that they’re working on, it makes sense that this set of teasers includes the research center that has a track record of continuously changing the technology landscape time and time again.
PARC saw the inception of a multitude of key tech innovations such as the Ethernet, modems, laser printing, and personal computers—as well as the mouse you use with it.
Location 9: New York Midtown Hilton
This place is nothing short of historic. Did you know that this is supposedly where the legendary musician and former Beatles member John Lennon wrote his iconic song Imagine? Aside from that, it is also where the first hand-held cellphone call was made.