Next Generation of Mobile Maps

[stealthify]

There's been some speculating going on about this for awhile, but today Google officially announced it:

Google Reveals an Image-Capturing Street View Backpack and New 3-D Maps | Gadget Lab | Wired.com



Looks pretty cool. That, and offline maps for you Android users.

Watch out for people with strange looking backpacks in your backyard.

[DocWalt]

That looks awesome. Can't wait for better 3D stuff.

[HilbillyHomeboy]

I love Google maps/nav, use it daily on my android. They never stop updating and improving.

Jeremy

[BigTyla]

I love Google maps/nav, use it daily on my android. They never stop updating and improving.

Jeremy

This. The maps/nav on my Droid puts most in-car navigation units to shame.

[DocWalt]

My mom insists on using her tom tom from '08 instead of google maps because she hates the voice in Nav. She also tried Verizon's navigator so there's not much hope lol.

[stealthify]

This. The maps/nav on my Droid puts most in-car navigation units to shame.

In-car nav is definitely going to have to step up their game. It almost doesn't make sense keeping them separate anymore. If you have a nice car with nav in it, there's a good chance you probably have a smartphone as well.

Doc: Doesn't some of the navigation apps on Android let you change the voice? Personally I think all of the digital voices are annoying, usually the first option I turn off (in-dash nav or not).

[DocWalt]

Yeah, you can change the default voice but she doesn't know how and didn't want my help.

[onebadmollafolla]

Very cool!!!

[Amphiron]

I have imagined of doing this since high school using triangulated sonar. Good to see someone is doing this, not sure how they are generating the 3D maps tho.

[stealthify]

I have imagined of doing this since high school using triangulated sonar. Good to see someone is doing this, not sure how they are generating the 3D maps tho.

Supposedly they get all the data they need by sending some planes up to capture photos the location from 4 different angles.

What's really interesting is these backpack things. I imagine they're going to go far beyond just modeling the parks and pathways. I'm guessing they'll be using these to model the inside of buildings too.