Google Street View and 4 things not to miss

What is Google Street View?

Google Street View has become a familiar tool for those who love to travel through their computer screens. After its recent “revamp,” now you can explore even the smallest streets, alleys, or even inside famous places. So, how does Google bring these images to users?

Google Street View Vehicles

Street View Car on Google Street View

From the very beginning when Street View was just an experimental project, the car was already present and served as the primary mode of transportation. At that time, all the necessary equipment for the project — from several computers, cameras, GPS devices, etc. — was loaded onto a single SUV, which drove around five major cities in the U.S. and captured the first images in 2007. To this day, these wheels have rolled across all seven continents of the world.

Of course, after the testing phase, these vehicles were gradually adapted to suit different road conditions — from bulky SUVs to smaller vans, and later to regular cars capable of accessing restricted areas. The equipment on the vehicles was also reduced: one onboard computer replaced rows of machines that used to take up space, and the cameras were refined to meet the criteria of “small size – high resolution.”

After many upgrades and adjustments, the current Street View car is equipped with a 15-lens camera to capture 360° images. It also includes a motion sensor to track location, a hard drive for data storage, a computer to control the entire system, and a laser projector to determine distances.

See more products: Buy advertising accounts

Street View Trike on Google Street View

While resizing the Street View cars made it possible to capture great views of major cities, central areas, and main roads, there remained fascinating places inaccessible or off-limits to cars.

One day while cycling, mechanical engineer Dan Ratner realized he could combine Street View technology with his “iron horse” — his bicycle. A camera system mounted on a mountain bike was born, giving users comprehensive views of places like parks, university campuses, and even sports stadiums.

Street View Trolley on Google Street View

Once the Trike allowed access to places that cars couldn’t reach, the next logical question was: what other such places exist? This led to the idea of placing a Street View camera on a snowmobile.

Testing for this idea was highly successful, thanks to the enthusiastic support of the staff at Whistler Blackcomb — a famous ski resort — and soon, users were able to experience stunning snowy landscapes through the platform.

Street View Trolley trên Google Street View

If you want to not only stroll through famous streets and historical landmarks but also explore interior spaces and admire architecture from the inside, this system will make it possible. The Street View Trolley is a compact device built on a pushcart, allowing it to easily navigate spaces like museums and heritage sites.

How Google Street View Captures Images

Image Collection on Google Street View

The first step is, of course, capturing the images. The Street View vehicle travels to the desired locations and collects photos. However, this seemingly simple process involves many considerations — starting with the direction of the sun. Other environmental factors such as weather and temperature also play an important role.

Another crucial consideration is selecting the ideal starting point for filming. Typically, this begins in densely populated areas like shopping centers or subway stations, then gradually expands outward into suburban regions.

Aligning Images with Google Maps

Street View must precisely determine the location of each captured image to display it correctly when viewed on Google Maps. To achieve this, data from various onboard sensors is combined with GPS signals, along with monitoring of the vehicle’s speed and direction of travel.

While GPS devices usually provide accurate positioning, there are situations where signals become weak due to factors like tall buildings. In such cases, sensor data helps fill in the gaps. When all devices work together effectively, the resulting images are properly aligned, even in special locations or mountainous areas.

Turning Captured Images into Panoramas on Google Street View

The images shown on Street View must be seamless, with no missing sections. To ensure this, the image-capturing devices include multiple lenses placed closely together. The images from these lenses are then stitched together as seamlessly as possible.

Of course, stitching together photos from multiple cameras can result in distortions — similar to the distortion that occurs when flattening a globe into a map. These composite images are then digitally adjusted to appear natural and continuous, just as you see them on Street View.

Warning: Do Not Use Google Street View Services from Third Parties

Inappropriate Content

These policies apply to both Google-contributed and user-contributed content. When evaluating whether an image violates policy, we also consider the artistic, educational, or documentary value of the content.

Spam: Images that are uploaded multiple times, contain excessive advertising, or have overlaid text covering a large portion of the image will be removed. Like all of our content policies, these apply to the image itself as well as its captions, titles, and comments.

Impersonation

Google does not allow individuals to use Google Maps to deceive others. This includes fraudulent or misleading content.

Do not attribute your content to an individual, company, or organization unless you are authorized to represent them.

Google reserves the right to remove images, suspend accounts, or take legal action against photographers who falsely claim to represent or be hired by Google.

See more products: Buy advertising accounts

Advertising and Attribution

Any content that contains advertisements or excessive promotional elements in the image, caption, or comments will be removed.

Small, discreet copyright notices (such as a business name or logo) are allowed. However, email addresses and phone numbers must not be included in the image. Author attribution is accepted only if it is limited to the bottom 10% of the photo, or the bottom 36º (20%) of a 360-degree panorama.

👉 Therefore, if any organization or company approaches you offering a Google Street View advertising service, the Google Street View Community of Vietnam emphasizes that Google does not encourage commercializing this service, and you may be at risk of being scammed. Please report any image you suspect of being an advertisement so that Google can promptly remove it from Google Maps.

We hope this article has helped you gain a better understanding of Google Street View.

If you need the most reputable payment method and advertising account provider, you can message the fanpage buybm365.com-Ads to receive advice from HT Media. In addition, you can follow the articles. Latest articles related to our Digital Marketing.