Google has started gathering images of South Africa for the Street View feature in Google Maps. Using Toyota Prius cars, Google will begin driving around South Africa and taking photographs of locations in and around major cities, so the Google vehicle was recently spotted in Port Elizabeth.
Google has started gathering images of South Africa for the Street View feature in Google Maps. Using Toyota Prius cars, Google will begin driving around South Africa and taking photographs of locations in and around major cities, so the Google vehicle was recently spotted in Port Elizabeth.
Street View is a hugely popular feature of Google Maps that is already available in more than 100 metropolitan areas around the world.
It allows users to virtually explore and navigate a neighbourhood through panoramic street-level images. It is also available in Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile.
The collected images will be processed and carefully stitched together, a technological process that can take several months. These will be made available at a later date in Street View on Google Maps for South Africa.
In areas where Street View is available one can access street-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange Pegman icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted street.
One can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, or get a helping hand with geography homework. Househunters can save time by exploring properties and their surrounding area in advance and also by looking up driving directions.
Businesses can also benefit from the Street View technology by embedding Google Maps directly into their site for free, helping them to promote a chain of hotels or raise awareness about a local library or restaurant.
Andrew Kirby, Toyota’s senior vice president for sales and marketing said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Google and supplying our fuel efficient and environmental friendly Prius for this groundbreaking project in South Africa.
South Africans and international visitors alike will benefit tremendously from Street View, which is both fun and practical. We hope that people across South Africa’s major cities keep their eyes peeled for the Street View cars, and feel part of a major new initiative.”
Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the Minister of Tourism commented on the initiative. “The internet is a remarkably rich resource for raising awareness about South Africa – our people, our cities and our environment.
Street View is going to make South Africa more accessible both to locals and to international visitors. It will give tourists a taste of the variety that the country offers, and a chance to research their holidays in advance, all with the click of a mouse.
Ahead of the World Cup, we’re pleased to have Google bringing us some of their most innovative technology so that we can showcase South Africa to the world."
Roshene Singh, chief marketing officer at South Africa Tourism added, "Street View is a great tool for exploration and tourism, and a way to highlight South Africa’s urban buzz and scenic beauty.
As South Africa gears up for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, football fans around the world will either wish they were here, or will be on their way.
Street View will help all of our visitors plan their trip, or experience virtually what South Africa has to offer, no matter which team they’re cheering for."
For more information on Street View visit www.google.co.za/help/maps/streetview/faq.html
