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Google Tricycles To Map Footpaths For Street View

Posted by kdawson on from the hope-they-are-well-insured dept.

CNETNate writes "To advance its Street View service this summer, Google is poised to unleash the unstoppable power of human legs. Google will deploy pedal-powered tricycles — the company calls them 'Google Trikes' — mounted with 360 degree Street View cameras to map areas inaccessible by its fleet of Street View cars." The article indicates that the trikes will first see use in the UK, to map out public walking paths, but one anonymous commenter said: "This must be bogus — you are not allowed to cycle on public footpaths in the UK, I can't believe Google would have overlooked such a fundamental fact. Not to mention that the vehicle pictured wouldn't fit down most paths." PC World features the trikes in Rome.

10 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. Good job kdawson! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The article indicates that the trikes will first see use in the UK"

    He then goes on to link to pictures of them actually being used in Rome. Did the UK annex Rome?

  2. Next up: by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Google Sherpa!

  3. Pretty soon ... by jsnipy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Soon there will be "Google Stuff in Your House" where a half dozen guys dressed head to toe in black with head mounted cameras will rifle through your belongings, cabinets, and drawers. So when you loose your cars keys, just Google it!

    --
    -- if you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine
    1. Re:Pretty soon ... by Red+Flayer · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm not sure you thought your cunning plan all the way through.

      Me: Honey, where did I put my car keys?
      Her: I don't know dear, just fucking google it.
      Me: OK, according to Google they are on the keyhook next to the door... WTF? They aren't there!
      Her: Oh, that's right, dear, the Googol Housecrawling Spiders of Doom haven't been through since last Tuesday. That's where they were then.

      Me: Fucking useless GoogleHouse app. At least they helpfully recorded the combination when I unlocked my safe.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    2. Re:Pretty soon ... by Clovis42 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Shortly after I showed Google Earth to my Mom, she came to me with a question. A friend of hers wanted to know if I could get photos of someone who broke into her house. That's right; satellite images of a specific time (at night!) that were good enough that you could actually identify the people in them, on google, for free. Now, maybe the CIA can do this....

      I remember being amazed at what was offered on Google Earth when it first came out. It is always surprising when someone else thinks that a technology can do something that is insanely more complicated than what I was amazed by.

      --
      Clovis
      ^ Clovis, look! It's that guy you are!
  4. Re:LIDAR? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    By attaching it to their masts.

  5. Just saw one of these.... by One+Louder · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was a Seaworld in San Diego a few weeks back and one of these was driving around the various pathways taking shots for Street View. Haven't seen the data go live yet, though.

  6. Forget street view, how about decent maps by randomchicagomac · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a bicyclist, I'd love it if google had decent maps of off-street bike paths, such that I could use google maps' normal direction-finding feature with these. I've lived in lots of cities with numerous such paths, and they're usually out of the way and hard to find if you don't already know that they're there. It would be great to have a feature that a) lets me find them, and b) tells me exactly how far out of my way I'd need to go for the added safety/pleasantness of using them.

  7. History lesson by Smivs · · Score: 5, Funny

    Did the UK annex Rome?

    No, it was the other way round. Rome invaded Britain in 43AD. I think they've mostly gone home now.

    --
    Smivs on the intertubes!
  8. Re:Rights Do Not Scale Up by evanbd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think rights should scale up. I really don't see a problem with that.

    Oh, I see, you seem to have drunk the kool-aid and accepted that corporations are people who have rights. That's where the fault lies in all your examples, not with any inductive scaling.

    All that said... in this particular example, I do want my house on Google. Or, to be specific, I want other people's houses on Google -- many times I've made use of the Street View pictures to see what my destination will look like. And I can see other people wanting the same when I give them directions to my house. And I don't mind the pictures being up, and I certainly don't intend to take up a hypocritical position on the matter.