Google wants to spruce up its Maps service. In the future, views are to be even more realistic and almost have a 3D character. This is ensured by the new Immersive View function.
It is already possible to navigate via Google Maps and take a closer look at streets thanks to Street View. However, the view is not really round. Google wants to change that and gives Maps a new look with Immersive View. It allows users to explore a city in 3D and extremely close to reality via smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Immersive View creates 3D view in Google Maps
With Immersive View, Google Maps combines the classic map view and the existing Street View images with current aerial images taken by satellites. This creates a kind of 3D view of a place that users can explore from a bird’s eye view. The whole thing is somewhat reminiscent of a drone flight over a city. The company shows exactly how Immersive View is supposed to look on Google Maps with an example in London (starting at timestamp 0:39):
The new view makes it easier for users to explore places before they visit them and discover places or paths to visit later. Google Maps even provides a slider with Immersive View that allows users to jump between different times and weather conditions, allowing them to view their surroundings at different times of day, in rain, snow or sun. The special feature here: Thanks to a Ki, it is even possible to observe live how the weather at the viewed location will develop over the next few hours. Google Maps simulates, for example, the approach of a storm.
As soon as users zoom into a street, they can also examine the restaurants, cafés and hotels located there and, thanks to the AI integrated into Google Maps, receive information on opening hours, occupancy, contact details and much more.
When will the new feature go live?
Google says Immersive View will be available on nearly all Android smartphones and tablets, as well as laptops, on which Google Maps can be accessed. The new view is to be launched later this year, but initially limited to a few cities. Users will then be able to explore Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo via 3D navigation. However, other cities and regions are to follow.
Environmentally friendly route planning
Another innovation in Google Maps concerns environmentally friendly travel . In the future, the map service wants to suggest to users not only the fastest routes, but also those that consume as little fuel as possible. This type of navigation is already available in Canada and the U.S. and is now to be introduced in Europe as well. However, Google has not yet named a time frame for this.
Source
- Google blog
Topics
- Google Maps