Google wants to make Maps and Search more “Immersive” and has introduced new features for it.
The new features will include neighbourhood “vibe” checks and “visual forward” in search results.
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“Vibe” checks
“Vibe” builds on an already available Google Search feature called “around me”.
With this, users can see what is popular around them, such as a popular restaurant or place with real-time data.
This data also includes photos and reviews for popular places so that users can get a feel of the place before they decide to visit it.
Visual forward
“Visual forward” is another big feature that Google is rolling out.
This will allow users to get a visual feel of a search term which can be particularly helpful in the case of travel destinations and holiday spots.
As part of this feature, Google will show tiles made of photographs, similar to photo stories on Instagram and Snapchat, in its search results.
Immersive View
Another notable feature is the Immersive View in Google Maps.
It makes use of a combination of computer vision and AI technology to fuse together Street view and aerial imagery with what the weather, traffic and crowds will be like on a given day and time.
Users can explore by visually soaring over an area to see what it may look like.
Another utility of this feature is that it will also improve the Live View tool in the Google Maps app.
Live View
Currently, the Live view uses augmented reality to overlay information like walking directions on top to show directions.
The new Search with Live View feature lets you use your camera to find essential places like shops, ATMs and restaurants when you’re on the go.
“You can just lift up your camera and see overlaid on the real world the ATM that’s nearby,” said Chris Phillips, the VP and GM of Geo at Google.
Immersive View will be launched in Los Angeles, London, New York City, San Francisco, and Tokyo in coming months.