Google is taking new measures to improve its Google Maps service - including the introduction of 3D imaging of metropolitan areas in Google Earth and the availability of offline maps on mobile.
The announcement of the improvements by Google come as Apple prepares to take the wraps off its own navigation and mapping services - expected to debut with iOS 6.
Brian McClendon, VP of engineering for Google Maps, says the search giant has been working on improving the comprehensiveness, accuracy and usability of its navigation tools.
“Over the last few years we've been building a comprehensive base map of the entire globe - based on public and commercial data, imagery from every level (satellite, aerial and street-level) and the collective knowledge of our millions of users,” says McClendon.
“You've seen our cars, trikes, snowmobiles and trolleys - but wheels only get you so far. There's a whole wilderness out there that is only accessible by foot.” Google's new Street View Trekker equipment fits into a backpack which can then be used to photograph places otherwise inaccessible to Street View.
3D cityscapes
In terms of accuracy, McClendon says: “We make thousands of edits a day, based on user feedback through our 'Report a Problem' tool and via Map Maker.” Map Maker will now be expanded to SA, Egypt and 10 other countries over the next few weeks, allowing users to submit edits and updates to maps.
McClendon also announced that offline Google Maps for Android will be rolled out in the coming weeks. The service allows users to access offline maps for over 100 countries. “This means that the next time you are on the subway, or don't have a data connection, you can still use our maps,” says McClendon.
The final, and possibly most significant, update is that Google will be adding 3D models to entire metropolitan areas on Google Earth on mobile devices.
“This is possible thanks to a combination of our new imagery rendering techniques and computer vision that let us automatically create 3D cityscapes, complete with buildings, terrain and even landscaping, from 45-degree aerial imagery. By the end of the year, we aim to have 3D coverage for metropolitan areas with a combined population of 300 million people,” says McClendon.
Google will deploy a fleet of small, camera-equipped airplanes (owned and operated by contractors exclusively for Google) above several cities to create the 3D maps. Product manager for Google Earth, Peter Birch, says: "We're trying to create the illusion that you're just flying over the city, almost as if you were in your own personal helicopter.”
The forthcoming 3D city maps will be part of the Google Earth software app available for mobile devices such as smartphones based on Google's Android software and Apple's iOS software.
Rivalry
Apple is reportedly finishing up its own iOS Maps application, which is rumoured to feature 3D functionality. Apple acquired 3D mapping solutions company C3 Technologies at the end of last year.
Since Google's 2008 release of Android, the search giant and Apple have been in an ongoing rivalry in which they have continuously encroached on each other's territory. It has been noted that Google's latest Google Maps announcements serve to convey the search giant's dominance in the space, and the sheer scope of its offerings. Google currently has a billion monthly active Google Maps users.
Reuters reports that at the special event hosted by Google to announce the updates, McClendon said the integration with Google's search engine provides a mapping service that is far more useful than a product that simply uses a "geocoder" - technology that uses geographic coordinates to create a digital map.
Apple began to use its own geocoder technology for the Google-based maps on its smartphones late last year.
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