Google has announced a change to the Street View app for Android, allowing users to contribute to Street View in Google Maps.
Google’s Street View cars are an iconic part of the company’s culture. The internet is filled with hilarious pictures of the odd situation that just happened to be caught on camera, as well as those situations when people saw the car coming and managed to pull off a pose.
Now virtually anyone with an Android phone can contribute to Street View. Stafford Marquardt, Product Manager, Google Maps Street View, outlined how it will work:
With our updated Street View app on Android, it’s now easier than ever to collect your own Street View imagery and put it in the right place on Google Maps. Using our new connected photos tool in the app, you can record a series of connected images as you move down a street or path.
These images are captured using ARCore, the same augmented reality technology we use to produce experiences like Live View. After you record your images and publish them via the Street View app, we automatically rotate, position and create a series of connected photos. We then place those connected images in the right place on Google Maps, so your new Street View can be found in the exact location where it was taken for others to see and explore.
