Have you ever wondered how Google Street View cars manage to map pedestrian walkways and other thin-set infrastructure? Yeah, me too. Oh wait, they don’t. Until now.
Beginning this summer, Google’s very trendy Google Trike will bike the paths of Italy and the United Kingdom in order to give Street View more comprehensive coverage. The Trike is said to be a “mechanical masterpiece comprising 3 bicycle wheels, a mounted Street View camera and a very athletic cyclist in customised Google apparel,” and judging by the pictures that’s very true. Except for the helmet. Definitely not techie enough to be Googlified.
Possibly in light of the privacy craziness that’s been going on in Europe since Street View launched on the continent earlier this year, Google will be taking user wants-and-needs into consideration. Google has put up a site for Street View Suggestions (in the UK at least) so users can vote on which landmarks they’d most like to see mapped. The company has teamed up with VisitBritain to create 5 different categories under which users can vote: Castles, Coastal paths, Natural Wonders, Historic Buildings & Monuments and (Sports) Stadiums.
Suggestions will only be available for a limited time after which users will vote and the top 3 locations will be added to Google Street View, so vote now to have your say.
