Google has introduced a number of new AI-powered updates coming quickly to Google Maps that goal to assist customers plan journeys, navigate unfamiliar areas, discover electrical car charging stations, and uncover new locations and actions.

Immersive View

Probably the most visually superior new characteristic is Immersive View for routes, offering customers with an in depth preview of their journey from begin to end.

Utilizing superior AI to fuse billions of Avenue View and aerial pictures, Google claims Immersive View will permit customers to expertise simulated journeys as in the event that they have been there.

The Immersive View preview is an interactive expertise, permitting customers to discover routes from totally different vantage factors, zoom, pan, and even change the time of day or climate situations. This offers customers a way of what the journey will likely be like earlier than embarking.

Immersive View leverages laptop imaginative and prescient, synthetic intelligence, and billions of Avenue View and aerial pictures to generate its extremely detailed 3D representations of routes.

Along with routes, Immersive View was first launched earlier this yr for particular person landmarks and areas. Builders can even create immersive experiences via new 3D mapping instruments within the Google Maps Platform.

Immersive View for routes will begin rolling out this week on Android and iOS in cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tokyo.

Updates To Lens

Google Maps is increasing its Lens characteristic, which lets customers orient themselves in unfamiliar areas by lifting their cellphone’s digital camera.

Utilizing AI and augmented actuality, Lens exhibits details about close by eating places, retailers, transit stations, and extra proper on high of the view from the digital camera. After launching in a handful of cities final yr, Lens is coming to over 50 extra cities globally.

Updates For Electrical Automobile Drivers

A number of updates goal to supply electrical car drivers with extra useful data for decreasing “charging nervousness” on journeys.

Customers will now see specifics like compatibility, the quantity, kind, energy degree of chargers, and knowledge on when chargers have been final used to keep away from damaged ones.

These options begin rolling out this week worldwide.

AI-Powered Visible Outcomes

Google Maps is reimagining search with new AI-powered visible outcomes. Customers looking for particular actions like “animal latte artwork” will now see picture outcomes of matching areas.

The thematic search outcomes are primarily based on billions of pictures analyzed by superior laptop imaginative and prescient fashions. Customers can faucet via the picture outcomes to view particulars, critiques, instructions, and extra about every location.

Google says these visible search improvements depend on its laptop imaginative and prescient, picture recognition, and synthetic intelligence advances. The brand new visible search expertise launches in France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US this week.

Featured Picture: Screenshot from weblog.google/merchandise/maps/google-maps-october-2023-update/, October 2023.