Google Street View
Google Street View is a feature in Google Mapthat allows users to explore streets around the world in a 360-degree panoramic view. First launched in the United States on May 25th, 2007, it is now developing at a rapid rate in different countries around the world. This technology lets people check out travel sites, restuarants, neighborhoods from different angles, in a multi-dimentional view. The images in Google Street View are captured by cars specially adapted with cameras and antennas, also by tricycles and snowmobiles at places where cars cannot easily access.
Contents
Timeline
| Date | Key Development |
|---|---|
| May 12, 2008 | Google first announced its success with testing face-blurring technology on its photographs of the streets of Manhattan. |
| April 16, 2008 | Google Street View became a part of Google Earth 4.3 |
Processing Imagery
Google Street View is first created by collecting photographs of desired locations, which is done by moving vehicles equipped with cameras and antennas. While capturing pictures, photographers need to pay close attention to the position of the sun, so the contour of the landmarks do not blur in the shadows. They also need to consider other factors like weather and temperature.
Photographers plan to collect images starting with places that tend to be more populated and important.
Turing Photographs into Street View
Multiple cameras on the vehicles take overlapping picture, so there are no gaps in the 360-degree Street View. Each picture is analyzed on the angle and distance that it was taken from, then the separate photographs are pieced together into an unified panorama like the pictures below.
Separate photographs:
Unified panorama:
Google Street View as users see it:
Area of Coverage
Technology
Images are captured primarily by specially fitted vehicles that drive around collecting images. Imaging trips are carefully planned in terms of time of day, time of year, and weather. Their can be no snow, fog, rain, or shadows that will skew the images. They also take into account traffic so as to utilize their time most efficiently.
In order to determine which images align with which addresses, they use signals from sensors around the imaging vehicle, GPS, as well as speed and direction monitors. Additionally, they use image blurring software to make sure pedestrians' faces and vehicles' license plates are not visible. [1]
Ethical Dilemma
As Google's Street View project continues to progress, it continues to face a variety of not only legal barriers but also a large public outcry over ethical issues as well. Some individuals praise the newest technological innovation by Google and praise it for the convenience it has created. On the other hand, there are others who claim it violates an individuals right to privacy. In June of 2011, a federal judge ruled that Google could be held responsible, and sued, for secretly collecting data on open WiFi Networks. [2]
References
- ↑ http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/technology/photos-into-street-view.html
- ↑ Kravets, David. "Judge: Google Can Be Sued for Wiretapping in Street View Debacle". Wired Magazine. June 30, 2011. Web.
