As we all know that unquiet Google is constantly busy working bringing out new product or to update its existing products in order to surprise us with new features, and this time it is no different than another surprise.
Google has introduced a new game that lets budding cartographers to map the uncharted territories of the world and create their own maps. A new feature added to Google Maps called “Map Maker,” a Web-based tool that allows people to add and edit geographical data to the unmapped regions around the globe.
For example, with Map Maker, users can rapidly draw roads, lakes, and parks, points of interest, businesses, cities and localities. Google would then update the data to Google Maps. And so, users can now be converted into cartographers.
With this new tool, Google wants to encourage especially the users from Cyprus, Iceland, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Caribbean nations of: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobag to update the maps of their countries.
On its LatLong Blog, Google said: “Google Map Maker is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to engage Google Maps users and equip them with an easy-to-use tool to build high quality maps of their neighborhoods, cities and countries.”
The Google Map Maker tool went live yesterday and inspires users to add as much detail as possible about their local area, including building functions – for example, marking out car repair garages, hairdressers, zoos, clubs and more.
In order to use Google Map Maker, the users should first create a feature, which defines a place or geographic characteristic. These can include man-made structures and natural elements of a landscape. Certain features can include other features, such as a park may include a monument.
Each feature has information that you can add or edit. Depending on the kind of feature, this information can include description, events or history.
It even allows people to add geographical features, such as peaks, hills, ridges and fault lines, as well as locations in which basic necessities like drinking water can be found.
Such features are already available on Google Maps for many countries, but Google has expressed its desire to expand this across the world. By making maps available for parts of the world without comprehensive coverage, such as Cyprus, Iceland, Jamaica, Vietnam, Grenada and Pakistan, Google believes that “the existing mapping data for these countries could benefit tremendously from local knowledge and expertise”.
The search giant went on to add that it was “excited” to experience how users interact with the map making program and the ways in which they will put it to use.
It will be exciting to see how successful the venture will be — as Google acknowledges, building a map is incredibly complex and time-consuming task. However, sites like Wikipedia have flourished — to the surprise of many early critics, in all likelihood — so it is completely possible that Google Map Maker will enjoy a similar accomplishment.
The application is meant for the public as well as third-party map service providers who have been using re-packaged Google Maps ever since the company opened-up access to Geo Search API. Since then, even Wikipedia’s geo-tagged entries have been visible on Google Maps. User contribution will help Google chart uncharted territory.
Google Map Maker is akin to Mapplets, an application launched by Google last year that let users gather and add data from multiple sources to Google Maps.