Google Maps gets new AR Indoor feature to Navigate through Malls, Airports

Google today has announced several new additional features that are coming to its Maps app, Google Maps, for iOS and Android later this year. Of the new features, one that catches the eye is the “Live View” mode feature. It will allow the users to use augmented reality (AR) to navigate inside malls and airports.

Navigating is Going to get a Lot Easier with Google Maps

The purpose of Live View mode is to prevent customers from having the “awkward moment when you’re walking in the opposite direction of where you want to go” by giving directions in AR within the app. According to Google, the new model uses global localization, which “uses AI to scan tens of billions of Street View images to understand your orientation.”

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The indoor Live View mode is available on Android and iOS for a few malls in San Francisco, Chicago, San Jose, Long Island, Newark, Los Angels, and Seattle. However, Google says that Tokyo, Japan, and Zurich, Russia will also see this feature out on airports, malls, and transit stations in the future.

Additionally, in an ecofriendly update, Google Maps will soon route users to a route with the lowest possible carbon footprint. Google says that this new mode will have around about the same Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) as regular routes. In cases where the ETA is different, “the app will allow the users to compare the CO2 impact of each route, which will allow the users to make the final decision.”

For iOS and Android later this year, the eco-friendly routes will launch in the U.S., and once it is launched, the global expansion will take place. Additionally, in a new feature that will start rolling out in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the UK, Google will start alerting the users when they are going through low emission zones. These zones are built to restrict cars that include high CO2 emissions and sometimes also requiring specific emission stickers. 

According to a report by WCCFTECH, more features are coming to Google Maps in the coming months, “such as built-in support for curbside pickup options at grocery stores.” The search engine will also add details such as grocery stores’ Business Profiles in Google Maps and Google Search that will give customers quick access to the store’s shopping options.

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