It’s funny how quickly we get used to new developments. Google Maps has become the de facto standard for finding a location or planning a trip, and their relatively new Street View feature can often be just as valuable. For example, while recently looking up the address of a new dentist’s office, I switched over to Street View to see exactly how the façade of the building looked from the street, and check if the street number was visible from the front of the office.
These kinds of programming details make Google Maps an insanely easy locator and trip planner, and Google is currently working to incorporate Street Views of all major metropolitan areas in the United States. But until now, there were no signs that “the Big G” was developing a European version of Google Maps Street View.
Rumors began circulating a few weeks ago of Google-marked vehicles traveling the streets of Milan Italy. The purpose of these cars, ostensibly, is to acquire Street Level images for incorporation into the powerful Google maps program.
Finding out that Google was already plotting out Street View functionality of Europe was not all that surprising really; but what is interesting is this: the Google vehicles being used in Milan also appeared to be using a type of panoramic laser scanner on board, which could (so the theory goes) produce a high quality 3-D model of the terrain surveyed.
When asked directly about the 3-D laser surveying of European cities, Google refused to comment, except to say that the described 3-D scanning technology would be “consistent” with Google’s general plans for both Google Maps and Google Earth. Google spokesman Larry Yu refused to elaborate further on the use of the technology or exactly how Google might implement 3-D imagery into Google maps or Google Earth.
One thing is for certain though; Google is certainly collecting an enormous amount of digital information in Europe. For example, News.com is reporting that Google recently hired more than 300 drivers to map out Switzerland for its Google Maps Street View service.
Collecting so many high-definition digital photographs, along with the equivalent 3-D imaging data ensures that Google will wind up with an enormous amount of information to store and process. But being Google, they should have no problem dealing with the challenge.
Still, it will be interesting to see how Google chooses to use the 3-D imagery gathered. Perhaps they will create a “virtual Paris” or a 3D world based on “the virtual Alps.” For now, Google’s not saying, but you can be certain they have something up their sleeves here. Collecting so much 3D data is a huge undertaking; it stands to reason that Google would only take on such a project if they were sure they could produce a profitable product or service from it.
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