At Google I/O 2023, the company announced new immersive features for Google Maps, that will take advantage of the recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence.
With the new Maps update, Google will provide an enhanced view to the users letting them planned their drive. Called Immersive View, the feature will take advantage of the existing Street View data, computer vision and AI to fuse images together creating a digital model of the city. The view will give users access to all the route and drive related information at once and will also provide insights into lanes, sidewalks, intersections and parking along the route. Furthermore, Google is also adding a slider to Maps that will let users preview the environment around you at different times giving access to details such as quality information and weather changes throughout the day.
Google plans to roll out Immersive View to Maps users in Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Paris, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose, Tokyo, and Venice in the coming months.
Google also stated:
Maps has reimagined the way people navigate and explore. With advancements in AI, we’re introducing a whole new way to understand your route before you head out. Plus, developers can now tap into the magic of Maps’ immersive experiences.
The company is also going to make the experience available to developers through the Aerial View API. This will let developers integrate Immersive Mode into their apps and websites providing users with a "3D birds-eye video of a point of interest into their apps, offering people more visual information about a place."
The Aerial View API is currently in preview and will be available to developers starting today.
Lastly, Google is planning to allow developers access some of the Google Earth data to help create better 3D maps. Called Photorealistic 3D Tiles, the feature will be available to developers via Map Tiles API. This will give developers access to high-resolution 3D imagery so they can easily customize and create 3D maps tailored to their needs.