Google will map our city’s streets

GOOGLE is to begin mapping the streets of our cities and possibly the highways and byways of the nation — good weather permitting.

The internet giant yesterday unveiled plans to expand its Street View technology to Ireland, allowing users the chance to see the areas they might be visiting or to navigate their way around city streets.

From next week, black Opel Astras with elaborate tripod mounted cameras will begin mapping the streets of Dublin and, in turn, those of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

Taking photographs from eight different angles every few seconds, backed up by radar and GPS technology, the pictures will then be stitched together, ultimately allowing users to navigate, using the ‘Peg Man’ icon, from a map view of the area to a 360º vista of what the street actually looks like.

Google yesterday refused to name the date when the new Irish Street View will go online, saying it would take months or possibly a year — weather permitting.

The streetscapes that will ultimately form the Street View of Ireland’s cities are based on single photos taken at one moment in time.

And as such, a wet summer is likely to delay the process because rain drops will stick to the camera lens.

Google geospatial technologist Ed Parsons said: “We have to make sure we can only do it with reasonable conditions — we cannot do it with rain.

“We are all praying for a good summer.”

The technology will be accessible on phones, such as google phones, in future, while users will be able send a picture of a street or building in an email.

The company used self-developed technology to blur faces and car registration plates in the picture.

Users will also be able to report any concerns they have about anything in a particular Street View image, while Google has admitted it will listen to requests from individuals, companies, embassies and others who do not want their buildings featured.

Ed Parsons also admitted that photographing pedestrian streets will also present a challenge, simply because the cars will not be able to drive down them, although he said Google was exploring various options.

Street View technology, is available online for New York and Barcelona.

As well as allowing people to view different streets and areas, and provide them with directions using real street images, businesses such as auctioneers and estate agents are sure to put the technology to good use, although the economic rain clouds might need to lift first.

While Google will not be charging companies to have their business or building featured in Street View, Ed Parsons said: “A reasonable way of monetarising it may come along.”

So watch out for Google cars on the road over the coming months and keep an eye out for the website http://sites.google.com/streetview-ireland.