How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

• How does Google make panoramic pictures of streets

Service "Street View" from Google (Google Street View) allows us to see the panoramic views of streets of many cities in the world with a height of about 2.5 meters. You can take a virtual tour with all-round visibility in different parts of the world.

Let's see how it's done.

Panorama images Google receives using special cameras with a 360 degrees, mounted on vehicles, bicycles and even boats and snowmobiles. As a result, created a large 3D-photography, which is a photographically accurate model of the city, with all the details inherent to the area.

Let's see how it's done.

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

service "Street View" from Google was launched on May 25, 2007. When the project began in the trunk of the jeep put multiple computers, attach the cameras, lasers, GPS device on the roof and went to take his first collection of images. Then, Google acquired a car park in order to spread the project the whole territory of the United States and beyond to all continents of the globe.

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

After a series of experiments with cars and Google technologies stopped at 15 circular lenses for shooting. On machines are also installed GPS-receivers to fix the position, a hard drive to store data, a small computer and lasers to capture three-dimensional data, which are used to determine the distance to objects.

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

But the most interesting and attractive objects can not shoot with the car. For example, in the historic areas of many cities banned travel by car. But one day, during a bike ride in the mountains, Mechanical Engineer Dan Ratner had the idea that it is possible to combine his favorite hobby with the shooting of new sites for "Street View":

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

So ​​there was a tricycle from Google or Trike. He allowed to move where it is impossible to do it by car: the parks and paths, the historic center, penetrate university campuses, and even sports stadiums.

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

But that was not all, as were many other interesting places, such as in the mountains. And then there was Google placing the idea of ​​shooting equipment on a snowmobile:

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

The latest version of Google Camera with a review of 360 degrees, used in the filming for Google Street View project:

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

The equipment is already there, but it is necessary to obtain high-quality photos to create panoramas streets. When planning a route survey should take into account the position of the sun: it must be high enough to shade from nearby objects do not fall on the building. Also, the weather and temperature conditions must be considered, as snow, fog or rain may cause a delay in the schedule of movement and can cause blurred images.

For example, take the London original photos:

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

Then all the images "glued" together, the overlapping areas are removed and creates a continuous circular image - Panorama:

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

This image looks distorted, since it is the projection of a sphere on the surface of a circular cylinder. Similarly, it will look globe, if you try to draw it to the surface of a sheet of paper.

Thereafter, the image is projected back onto the sphere, and in playback mode streets it looks natural. This is the final version. The image can be zoomed, removed, twist in all directions with the mouse and move on to other streets. Try to walk around London: With this technology, users can view street-level imagery, virtual walk through many cities of the world and even to read the inscription on road signs.

When moving along the streets Google determine which images we should see. This helps the signals ever laser sensors mounted on the vehicle. Based on the reflection rate of the laser beams the surfaces defined by the distance to objects that allows google design volumetric model. When you put the mouse cursor to the remote area, this volume model helps to choose the best panorama to show the location.

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

But the "Street view" from Google, meanwhile, reached the great river Amazon, August 17, 2011.

How Google makes the panoramic street-level imagery

"Magic" camera from Google with a review of 360 degrees, set on a boat, the river Rio Negro - the largest left tributary of the Amazon, August 17, 2011.

Google's work to create virtual panoramas continues.

The equipment is already there, but it is necessary to obtain high-quality photos to create panoramas streets. When planning a route survey should take into account the position of the sun: it must be high enough to shade from nearby objects do not fall on the building. Also, the weather and temperature conditions must be considered, as snow, fog or rain may cause a delay in the schedule of movement and can cause blurred images.