Need help getting through the Minneapolis skyways? Honeywell has launched a new app this week using its indoor GPS technology to help.
The "Minneapolis Skyway Maps" app is available on both IOS and Android and was tested in the skyways and then made widely available for visitors for Super Bowl LII. The app is not inclusive of all of the buildings, restaurants or entertainments spots. Those listed paid a fee to be in the app. But it shows the main destinations for Super Bowl visitors.
Other apps to navigate downtown include Sky Way Finder and Minneapolis Skyway. SkywayMyWay.com also can help.
Minneapolis Skyway Maps is a sister app to the Honeywell Vector Occupant App, which uses technology largely developed by Honeywell engineers in Golden Valley.
"For anyone who is not a local, and for even some who are, finding your way around the skyway system can be a big challenge," said Steve Cramer, CEO and president of the Minneapolis Downtown Council. The app's "interactive map makes it really easy and intuitive to know exactly where you're going, and how to get there."
Honeywell's vector occupant technology is being sold to companies, especially those with plants or offices in multiple buildings or locations, to help employees get around and find locations such as emergency exits or cafeterias. The companies can also digitize security features — even giving certain employees the ability to unlock doors remotely from phones — and HVAC controls.
"Much of a building's success hinges on how happy and satisfied its occupants are. They're the lifeblood of an organization, and their experience within a building is what keeps them coming back," said John Rajchert, president of building solutions for Honeywell Home and Building Technologies. "The Honeywell Vector Occupant App has given users more power to shape their building experiences from their smartphones."
The technology builds on what Honeywell has developed for years to help firefighters navigate industrial complexes.
Dee DePass • (612) 673-7725
