Google Maps Now Has A More Real View Thanks To The Immersive View Feature

JAKARTA - Google Maps is now getting a more real, better and detailed view of its services, with the new Immersive View mode making it easier for users to find where they want to go.

Immersive View is a kind of Street View, where users can see a location from above to get a feel for the surroundings and then descend to street level to see specific places they might want to visit.

Using advanced computer vision and AI, Google combines billions of Street View images to produce lifelike visuals.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said how they are not using drones to capture footage, and instead are using AI to combine Street View and aerial imagery to create stunning visuals of various locations around the world. It's a completely new way to explore major landmarks, places, restaurants and other points of interest.

Immersive view in @GoogleMaps is a new way to experience what a neighborhood, landmark, restaurant and venue will be like — and even feel like you're right there. It uses advances in computer vision and AI to fuse together billions of Street View images. #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/DgJwwE03rQ

— Google (@Google) May 11, 2022

"We can combine it. So we can really understand, okay, this is the height of the building. How do we combine it with Street View? How do we combine it with aerial views to make something that feels more like you were there?," said the Vice President engineering at Google, Liz Reid.

Launching The Verge, Thursday, May 12, Reid added an Immersive View feature that offers the wonders of Google Earth's massive zoom but on an environmental level.

Furthermore, Immersive View is already starting to work on most devices, but so far it only works in a few neighborhoods in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and in the future some areas will be coming soon.

While pushing to make Maps a more vibrant 3D experience, this step also opens up some of that experience to the app ecosystem.

Third-party developers can now take advantage of Maps' Live View AR feature, which essentially gives them very precise location tracking in the real world and an AR layer on top.

Google is working with developers on apps that help users find places to park their scooters, or help users navigate stadiums, and even let users play AR games with dragons in the real world.

Google Maps really is no longer just an app for getting from one place to another. It is increasingly turning into a digital version of the real world.