The Google Street View program is a feature within Google Maps and Google Earth that provides interactive panoramas of street-level locations around the world. Here’s a summary of how it works and its key aspects:
- Imagery Collection: Google uses a fleet of specially-equipped vehicles, often cars, that drive along public streets, capturing 360-degree photos at regular intervals. For areas where vehicles can’t access, Google uses alternate methods, like bicycles (Trikes), backpacks (Trekkers), snowmobiles, and even underwater cameras for unique sites.
- Coverage: Street View spans across urban and rural areas globally, although coverage depends on various factors, including local privacy laws, accessibility, and demand. Google continues to expand coverage, regularly updating areas for accuracy.
- Privacy: To address privacy concerns, Google blurs faces, license plates, and other sensitive information automatically. Users can also request specific image blurring if something sensitive or private appears in the imagery.
- User Contributions: Google encourages contributions to Street View through the Street View app and Google Maps, where users can upload their own 360-degree images. This has broadened coverage in harder-to-reach areas and provides a community-driven angle to the project.
- Applications: Besides personal navigation, Street View is used in real estate, tourism, education, virtual tours, and urban planning. It has been a foundational tool for virtual tours, helping businesses and tourist sites offer virtual experiences.
- Emerging Technologies: Google has also integrated AI and machine learning to process and enhance imagery and to keep it up to date. For instance, Google’s advances in AI can now automatically detect business names, hours, and other key details from Street View imagery.
