 |
| Google lets you explore neighborhoods with immersive vision |
Google has announced a new feature in its Maps app called Immersive Vision that combines Street View and aerial photos so you can virtually explore your neighborhood.
“With our immersive graphics, you can experience what a neighborhood, landmark, restaurant or famous place looked like and feel like you were there before you set foot there,” said Myriam Daniel, Vice President of Maps.
Whether you're traveling to a new place or looking for hidden residents, immersive information can help you make pre-travel decisions.
The new feature is very similar to the 3D Maps feature that Apple introduced last year.
Apple said at the time: Apple Maps offers a new way to navigate cities through 3D maps. This feature provides unprecedented detail for neighborhoods, business districts, ports, buildings, and more.
Users can now see elevation details across the city, new road signs, and hundreds of custom landmarks such as Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the Statue of Liberty in New York, and London's Royal Albert Hall, among many others.
Google announces immersive mapping tool
The search giant announced the immersive visual feature at I/O 2022, the annual Google Developers Conference. Daniel said Google Maps was originally launched to help people navigate to their destinations. Since then it has grown more and become a handy companion when you need to find the perfect restaurant or get information about a local business.
"Today we are introducing a new way to explore with maps," she added. This is thanks to advances in computer vision and artificial intelligence. These technologies allow us to combine billions of Street View images and aerial photos to create rich digital models of the world.
Google users can explore the city from above and then tap a specific street or building down to street level.
The application also displays useful information. There is an opportunity to change the time to see how the area looks at different times of the day and in different weather conditions.
Getting down to street level allows you to explore nearby restaurants and view useful information such as live traffic and nearby traffic. You can even peek inside before booking to get a quick taste of the ambiance here.
Immersive viewing will begin later this year in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo. Other cities will follow.