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Have you ever wanted to take a stroll down the Champs-Élysées in Paris? Or maybe take a look at this new restaurant before you make a reservation?
Now, Google Maps’ panoramic view tool will let you do it all from your phone.
The new AI-powered feature will be rolled out this week, and will allow users to explore accurate 3D models of cities and even look around the interior of buildings.
By combining millions of Street View images and satellite images, Google has made the tool available in 15 cities including London, Dublin and Paris.
Google says the tool aims to help people discover scenic routes and make navigation easier by simulating weather and traffic on the road.
The new AI-powered feature, which will be rolled out this week, will allow users to explore accurate 3D models of cities and even look around buildings from the inside.
Starting this week, Google Maps will roll out the panoramic view feature in 15 cities including London. This allows users to explore 3D maps of their route before setting off
Google first announced the launch of Immersive View last year.
But starting this week, users will be able to use it for roads in select cities for the first time.
By selecting the intended time of day, users can explore a multi-dimensional map of the road including expected weather effects, lighting, and even traffic forecasts.
Speaking at a press conference, Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of the Geo team at Google, said that artificial intelligence will be a key part of the future development of Google Maps.
“We believe we are at a turning point in this journey to build the future of maps, and this is driven by artificial intelligence,” Mr. Phillips said.
The detailed 3D maps are created using advanced artificial intelligence technology called neural radiation fields, which converts 2D images into 3D models.
Using this technology, Google says it is able to recreate the full context of a site including lighting, textures and background details.
“Londoners and tourists alike will be able to use the maps to gain a deeper understanding of this truly historic city,” said Debbie Weinstein, managing director and vice president, Google UK.
“We are very excited to introduce AI-driven technologies like these that provide innovative solutions to everyday challenges.”
The immersive display turns any route into a fully interactive, explorable map created using AI techniques
The rollout of Immersive View comes alongside a number of big updates to Google’s main navigation app.
The tech giant also announced the expansion of its Lens for Maps app, which uses augmented reality to deliver real-time map information.
Users will be able to look through their phone’s camera and see Google information such as names and ratings of restaurants, locations of ATMs or transit stations in real time.
In Lens’ biggest expansion to date, this will now be rolled out in 50 cities around the world.
In an effort to make exploration easier, maps will also be updated with new ways to search.
Map Lens will be rolling out in the UK starting this week, and the feature uses augmented reality to overlay map information on the real world
Users will now be able to search Maps for specific requests like “animal latte art” or “pumpkin patch with my dog” and will receive image results for their search.
Google says these results are generated through artificial intelligence analysis of billions of photos shared by Google Maps users.
Starting this week, new search functionality will be available in the UK, US, France, Germany and Japan.
Maps will now also include more information about speed limits and the location of electric vehicle charging points.
Starting this week, electric car drivers will be able to find more useful information such as whether the charger is compatible with their car and whether it is fast or slow.
Google will also record the last time the electric car charging point was used. However, this information will only be provided by Google Maps users.
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