Is Google shooting video footage for Streetview?
So, Gizmodo has a post on the cameras being used by Google’s vans to shoot street-level photos for the Street View feature on Google Maps. And they’re pretty nifty too – being Ladybug2 cameras from a company called Point Grey Research.
But that’s not the interesting thing. Apparently, these things don’t just take still pictures – they can also shoot video at 30 frames-per-second and 1024×768 resolution. Gizmodo makes the sensible suggestion that since these vans are roaming the US, it would be logical for them to be capturing video footage too.
If so, the question is how would this footage be used? I’m not sure there’s a huge demand for canned clips of particular streets. But imagine if Google was to send the vans out to specific events – street carnivals, political walkabouts, even (and I know it’s bad to think it) potential terrorist attacks – and then upload the footage to Google Video as a news service…
Well, it’s a thought.
(via Gizmodo)
Related posts
Google adds Mapplets for personalising Google Maps
Need a course in safecracking? Google it
Visit glorious Dresden via Google Earth
