Google Maps has added new functionality to its AR-based Live View navigation feature: indoor navigation. No longer limited to just outdoor spaces, the Live View update is able to help travelers navigate the more labyrinthine public spaces that an urban commuter might encounter. Previously, Live View could only operate based on a few outdoor-centric parameters.
Back in 2019, Google launched its first alpha test for Live View in Maps. At the time, the feature provided live directions to anyone trying to navigate through a packed city, echoing other efforts to improve Google Maps. Transitioning from Street View, users merely had to point their cameras to their surroundings. The app then scans for recognizable buildings and street signs to provide easy-to-read instructions for commuters. Since then, the feature has evolved even more, improving navigation in the process. However, despite the feature's innovations, Live View was limited to certain conditions. First and foremost, it requires a smartphone compatible with Google's ARCore. Secondly, users could only turn the feature on in outdoor, well-lit areas where Street View was available.
In the latest update, Live View is eliminating the latter limitation. Rolling out in select areas around the world, Live View can now navigate through crowded public spaces, including airports, malls, and train stations. Instead of relying on a relatively flatter map, the feature now understands altitude and how objects fit in a more three-dimensional world. In other words, it can now tell which floor a user is on, allowing them to find elevators, stores, gates, check-in counters, baggage carousels, and more. Indoor Live View is now available on both Android and iOS.
Redefining Indoor Navigation With Maps
Arguably, malls and airports are two of the hardest public spaces to navigate and especially when information counters aren't readily available. More often than not, especially at an airport, travelers are in a rush, preventing them from easily reading a space's signage. With the new update, Live View can help users cut through the time it takes to get oriented with a space's layout and language, especially since the Live View (and Google Maps) interface will remain the same, regardless of where the user is. Further, mallgoers can easily navigate through a busy mall without having to consult a hard-to-read map of the area.
Currently, Indoor Live View has rolled out to malls in Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. Google has also promised airport, mall, and transit station navigation for Tokyo and Zurich sometime within the year. In addition, the feature will also be expanded to other, currently unannounced cities as well. For reference, the update is part of a much wider attempt to improve Google Maps in general.
Source: Google