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How Google Street View Keeps an Eye on Things Where There Are No Streets (Video)

It's not called Google Grand Canyon View, but Street View can show you what the canyon looks like even though there are no streets there -- or in the Meteor Crater or thousands of other places Google Street View Cars or tricycles or other vehicles can't go. How? With a 40 pound, human-carried version of the camera rig in the cars, complete with GPS and a "pause" button in case the human motive power system needs to take a break. But, asks Slashdot's Tim Lord, what about new, small cameras? Like GoPro? Don't they make the Trekker rig kind of obsolete? Well... Google's always working on "new and improved" everything, so the next version of the Trekker is likely to be kind of interesting.

52 comments

  1. Grand Canyon View by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's Deep...

    1. Re:Grand Canyon View by JustOK · · Score: 2

      i dig it

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      rewriting history since 2109
    2. Re:Grand Canyon View by BluBrick · · Score: 2

      Holed on a moment...

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      Ahh - My eye!
      The doctor said I'm not supposed to get Slashdot in it!
    3. Re:Grand Canyon View by JustOK · · Score: 2

      Crater love hath no man than this

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      rewriting history since 2109
    4. Re:Grand Canyon View by BluBrick · · Score: 1

      ... that a man layer down his life ...

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      Ahh - My eye!
      The doctor said I'm not supposed to get Slashdot in it!
  2. lovely by spongman · · Score: 0

    yeah, that's fine. but don't you dare put a wide-angle camera on a quadcopter, or Schmidthead will get angry.

    1. Re:lovely by MrEricSir · · Score: 1

      More importantly the FAA would have some words with you.

      --
      There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
    2. Re:lovely by spongman · · Score: 1

      why?

  3. 40 pounds carried? by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 2

    I saw a sign on the rim when starting a hike into the canyon. It said something to the effect of be prepared or risk injury. The risk injury portion was scratched away and scrawled on top was "you will die". A 40 pound camera would certainly speed that process.

    1. Re:40 pounds carried? by simonbp · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not if you keep to the trails, and stay hydrated. The vast majority of deaths/serious injuries are people leaving the trails or look out points and falling. Or not looking where they are going and walking off a cliff. Or just generally being dumbasses. If you obey the signs, it's perfectly safe, even with a 40+ pound pack/camera rig.

    2. Re:40 pounds carried? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      The average Slashdot reader is carrying more than 40 extra pounds every hour of the day and it will also speed his demise.

      Perhaps Slashdot needs a warning sign.

    3. Re:40 pounds carried? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It is commonplace for mountaineering backpacks to be 50lb. And soldiers typically carry about 80lb of gear. For a prepared person, hiking the Grand Canyon with a 40lb load is still a walk in the park, both figuratively and literally! :)

    4. Re:40 pounds carried? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hope you don't think that 40 pounds will make you fall faster!

    5. Re:40 pounds carried? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The guy carrying Trekker was "deep into the canyon" so he had his feets at the bottom of the place = no falling.

    6. Re:40 pounds carried? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to hike week+ long trips in sierras over 10000+ altitude peaks and passes with a 60-80 lb pack, 40 pounds is nothing.

    7. Re:40 pounds carried? by glenebob · · Score: 1

      This could also result in some really cool Street View footage.

    8. Re:40 pounds carried? by Algae_94 · · Score: 1

      I imagine he just teleported down there then? He kind of had to get his gear into the canyon. It's either hike down, take it on a long boat trip with some major rapids, or helicopter.

    9. Re:40 pounds carried? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wish Street View would do my street before doing off-road trails.

    10. Re:40 pounds carried? by Pallas+Athena · · Score: 1

      Speed up? If I go somewhere in that canyon where I shouldn't go, and that action gets me killed, I'd rather die quickly.

  4. Under water also by whoever57 · · Score: 2

    I was playing GeoGuesser the other day and it put me under the water near Hawaii.

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    1. Re:Under water also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Still better than $randomUnmarkedStreetLiterallyInTheMiddleOfNowhere. ;)

    2. Re:Under water also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I got a road in the mountains of Mexico. Nothing for 10 miles in each direction. No signs except warnings for curves. I guessed the country and region, however, as one bus passed by and it was made in Mexico. Had the bus not been there, there would have been no way to figure out where it was.

      But that still wasn't as bad as the dirt road in SW Australia....

    3. Re:Under water also by a_hanso · · Score: 1

      Next up: Google Drone.

    4. Re:Under water also by whoever57 · · Score: 1

      Still better than $randomUnmarkedStreetLiterallyInTheMiddleOfNowhere. ;)

      On an unmarked street, you only have 2 directions in which to explore. Under water, with no streets, you have a 360 degree choice.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  5. Lightweighted by Allicorn · · Score: 1

    I googled a definition of "lightweighted". It isn't a word.

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    OMG!!! Ponies!!!
    1. Re:Lightweighted by loufoque · · Score: 1

      It's a neologism for "made lightweight".

    2. Re:Lightweighted by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      I googled a definition of "lightweighted". It isn't a word.

      Correct; the word he should have used would be 'lightened'

      Also... who the fuck is Steve? Not mentioned in TFS.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  6. Outstanding reporting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good job editors!... intelligent questions.... I found it very informative!

  7. OT: Tim Lord? by grasshoppa · · Score: 1

    Hands up if you read that as Time Lord at first, followed immediately by the correction and disappointment.

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    Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
  8. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This video reminds me that I find it distracting when people start every sentence with the word "So, "

    1. Re:So... by canadiannomad · · Score: 1

      So, this video reminds me that I find it distracting when people start every sentence with the word "So, "

      FTFY

      --
      Hmm, the humour and sarcasm seem to have been be lost on you.
    2. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, this video reminds me that I find it distracting when people start every sentence with the word "So, "

      So, FTFY

      So, FTFY

    3. Re:So... by jeffmeden · · Score: 2

      This video reminds me that I find it distracting when people start every sentence with the word "So, "

      A discourse marker like "So" is often heard when the speaker is in "dumb it down" mode and needs to structure their response carefully in order to not overwhelm the audience. The interview was done by Timothy, so you can imagine almost all of his footage turns out like this.

  9. Google will sniff your Wifi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google will sniff your Wifi... no matter where you are.

  10. Please use no or another background music by Morpf · · Score: 1

    Dear /.TV please consider not using this kind of background music. It's quite distracting.

    1. Re:Please use no or another background music by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      There's no background music because there's no video.

  11. GoPro? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The GoPro is meant to be rugged. It isn't especially small, especially hi-res, satellite linked, and it doesn't have an especially large capacity. It isn't even meant for still shots, which is what Google Street View uses.

  12. stupid hipster-wish-they-were-geeks by Thud457 · · Score: 0

    they prefer to be called Trekkies!

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:stupid hipster-wish-they-were-geeks by camperdave · · Score: 1

      they prefer to be called Trekkies!

      Trekkies is what non fans call fans. Fans call themselves Trekkers. You'd know this if you were a fan. Turn in your card.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  13. So.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So apparently Steve has the disorder that afflicts a lot of techies in which he can't start an utterance without saying "So.."

  14. No such thing as a stupid question, my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    But, asks Slashdot's Tim Lord, what about new, small cameras? Like GoPro? Don't they make the Trekker rig kind of obsolete?

    The cameras on the Trekker *are* pretty small, you twit. The rig not only records and synchronizes the view from several "gopro equivalent" cameras but it records attitude and position in realtime, and provides a way to record for long intervals without running out of storage space or energy (for the electronics). Strap a GoPro to your head and try to make streetview out of it some time.

    1. Re:No such thing as a stupid question, my ass by a_hanso · · Score: 1

      But, asks Slashdot's Tim Lord, what about new, small cameras?

      You mean the ones that are only smaller on the outside?

  15. Google marketting by chuckinator · · Score: 2

    It's good to see that Google finally figured out this whole marketing thing, but I didn't see an MSRP on this particular gadget.

  16. New version of portable street view camera? by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't it just be called google glass?

    --
    Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    1. Re:New version of portable street view camera? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nonono,

      GGlass is just for "Inside View" on Google Maps. Since it isn't omnidirectional they'll only use it to photo places you frequent. Using the GPS to time when an appropriate shot can be made, it will gradually build a tour able collection of your office, home, etc...

      Don't worry though, that picture that it took of you naked in the bathroom mirror will have your face blurred

    2. Re:New version of portable street view camera? by Main+Gauche · · Score: 1

      actually a Beowulf cluster of Google Glasses.

  17. Engine by ickleberry · · Score: 1

    They should put a Honda GX-100 onto that. Should have no bother pushing the operator and all the crap that's on that bike

  18. We Love Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We love google
    Google is great
    This article is an ad for Google

    Slash/fail

  19. Add Oculus Rift support please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would like to upgrade my virtual tourism :)

    God mode would be neat too, add drone-cameras?

  20. I don't like your altitude by dutchwhizzman · · Score: 1

    Also, the cameras don't record altitude or position. The GPS unit senses it and the computer unit in the lower part of the backpack records it on the SSD. The cameras aren't actually gopro equivalent. Their sensors have less pixels, but better sensitivity and color depth. The lenses are a lot less distorting than the ones on gopro cameras and have much less lens flare.

    --
    I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
  21. Saw them in Venice by Nuffsaid · · Score: 1

    Venice, Italy, is another place where cars simply cannot go. A few weeks ago I spotted the Trekker crew on the stairs of Rialto Bridge, plus another crew filming them. They looked like they were enjoying the trek.
    Some photos: http://fotoni.liviux.altervista.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5182

    --
    Nuffsaid
    ________

    Don't know about his cat, but Schroedinger is definitely dead.