Thursday, 16 June 2011

Google Street View Goes Off-Roading

Google Street View isn't going to let the "street" part define it anymore. That's right, Google Maps wants to include more than just a view of the roads--it's going off-roading, on... a tricycle.
Despite a variety of complaints and lawsuits that claim Google Street View is an invasion of privacy, the company is forging ahead into new territory that was inaccessible with its camera-mounted cars. With the help of the clunky "trike," a 9-foot long, 250-pound tricycle that's equipped with a camera that can capture 360-degree images, Google has begun pedaling its way to landmarks (see the video from Stonehenge, above), parks, universities and other attractions that were previously unreachable by car.
The expansion of Google Street View is pretty great publicity for parks and other local attractions--after all, who wouldn't want to take a real visit to France's Château de Chenonceaux after experiencing its grounds on a laptop screen? As for the rest of us who are too busy to actually make the trip, it's nice to know that we can visit Dublin's National Botanic Gardens or the Stonehenge without leaving our cubicles.

street view google