Internet users will be soon able to see images of Bangalore streets on Google Maps.
The search engine company today said it would capture the city’s street view and make it available on Google Maps.
Street View is a popular feature in Google Maps which allows users to explore neighbourhoods with the help of panoramic street-level images.
“We are launching the project from Bangalore as it is the information technology (IT) capital of India. The city’s IT-savvy people will be able to leverage its benefits optimally,” said Vinay Goel, product head, Google India.
The company said it was yet to decide on covering other cities in the country. “Our intention is to cover the entire country, though we are not in haste. We are interested in partnering all states,” said Goel.
| STREET VIEW BENEFITS |
| * Urban planning |
| * Law enforcement |
| * Businesses can embed Google maps in their sites for free |
As part of the project, Google cars and trikes (a special three-wheel pedi-cab) mounted with cameras will visit various locations in the city and take photographs. The company has got permission from the Bangalore police.
Google is also seeking permission to click images of privately-owned places of attraction such as Nrityagram Dance Village.
“We are excited to be on Street View.
I understand the trike can go off the beaten path to photograph some of the most remote and beautiful places on earth. It will provide a scenic virtual view of Nrityagram and that’s the closest to actually being here,” said Lynne Fernandez, managing trustee of Nrityagram Dance Village.
The Street View feature is available in 27 countries and covers over 100 cities. Users can access images by zooming on the lowest level on Google Maps or by dragging the “pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map to a blue highlighted street.
But the service has raised privacy issues. Google had to abandon the process of collecting details about Wi-Fi hot spots in the US due to local regulations. This problem also cropped up in the UK and France. Even the UK asked Google to delete personal data from Wi-Fi hot spots. The European Union data privacy regulator asked the company to warn people before sending cameras to capture images.
“We faced some issues in early stages. However, when people realised the potential of such a service, we started getting more users. We will not capture any data other than public information and streets,” said Goel.
Google has developed a technology that blurs human faces and vehicle number plates. It is also providing a reporting feedback button through which users can request for change in any image that features them.
