Mountain View, California – Last October, we reported that the Google Maps Street View team are on a new expedition to the Grand Canyon to capture imagery from the beautiful landmark with their new Trekker camera backpacks. As promised, Google continues to astonish with its mapping efforts, has just released the Street View imagery in all of its panoramic glory, more than 9,500 images of the Grand Canyon to its Maps service, the Web giant announced on Thursday.
To create this new Street View experience, which includes interactive images that cover more than 75 miles of trails and surrounding roads, Google took 9,500 panoramas of the Grand Canyon.
The fresh move is part of Google Trekker, a highly ambitious foot-based Street View project, the Grand Canyon is only the start of Google’s plans. The Google Maps team walked through the canyon carrying the Android-operated, 40-pound Trekker backpacks – a 15-lens camera system that took the images.
In addition, the Trekker back packs is fully loaded with the same 360-degree panoramic camera techniques that is available on Street View cars. The idea is that wherever the backpacks go, Google can build a Street View image.
Google also has trikes and snowmobiles working to map out areas of the wilderness where traditional transport can not reach. In fact, it is an impressive feat for sure and the Grand Canyon pictures are absolutely stunning.
According to an old post, that states, “The narrow ridges and steep, exposed trails of the Grand Canyon provide the perfect terrain for our newest camera system. The Trekker-which its operator controls via an Android phone and automatically gathers photos as he walks-enables the collection of high-quality imagery from places that are only accessible on foot,” Google wrote in October 2012, when the images were taken.
Image Courtesy: (Google Maps)
Moving forward, users can now, “Take a walk down the narrow trails and exposed paths of the Grand Canyon: hike down the famous Bright Angel Trail, gaze out at the mighty Colorado River, and explore scenic overlooks in full 360-degrees,” Google Maps product manager, Ryan Falor, wrote in a blog post.
Further, you can also check out the steep inclines of the South Kaibab Trail, or virtually travel a few hours away to explore the mind-blowing Meteor Crater, which looks like ot os from a different world entirely.
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Start exploring the Grand Canyon here: “So no matter where you are, you do not have to travel far or wait for warmer weather to explore Grand Canyon National Park,” Falor wrote.
In fact, this is only the start of Google’s plans to map the world. Google last fall launched the biggest-ever Street View update, adding 250,000 miles of roads worldwide. Expanded coverage runs through the U.S. and Canada, as well as the U.K., Macau, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, Taiwan, Italy, Denmark, and Norway.
Also, recently Street View went underwater, and Google is even starting on mapping out parts of North Korea, an area traditionally exempt from the world’s maps. Besides, the company also recently mapped the slopes of more than 90 global ski resorts, expanded its imagery of the Canadian Arctic, and ventured under the sea with detailed underwater views for armchair scuba divers.
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