Google has announced plans to broaden access to its Road Mapper feature, inviting more contributors to participate in mapping missing roads worldwide on Google Maps.
Since the introduction of Road Mapper in 2021, contributors have collectively mapped more than 1.5 million kilometres of roads, benefiting over 200 million users who rely on Google Maps for navigation.
In a statement, Google expressed appreciation for the significant impact that contributors have had on people's lives worldwide. The tech giant is eager to expand access to Road Mapper to engage more contributors and further enhance its mapping capabilities.
Road Mapper operates as an invite-only platform, where participants take on challenges to draw missing road segments on Google Maps, leveraging satellite images to determine road geometries.
Google acknowledges that there are still many challenges to overcome in order to achieve comprehensive road mapping coverage. However, the company is confident that with increased participation, Google Maps can be continually improved to deliver the best possible navigation experience.
Notably, Google's acquisition of Waze in June 2013 for $966 million played a crucial role in enhancing its mapping services. Waze's social features and crowdsourced location platform were seamlessly integrated into Google Maps, strengthening its capabilities.
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In June of the current year, Google Maps introduced the Immersive View feature in four additional cities: Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice. Furthermore, this feature expanded to encompass more than 500 iconic landmarks globally, ranging from Prague Castle to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, offering an immersive experience for Android and iOS users.
With the continued expansion of its mapping features and an increased focus on community contributions through Road Mapper, Google is committed to ensuring that its mapping service remains comprehensive and up-to-date, benefiting users around the world.
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Inputs from IANS
