Zurich Airport will soon be the first airport in the world to offer Google Maps Indoor Live View. Visitors will be able to orientate themselves better thanks to augmented reality.
Google's new technology called Indoor Live View is already being used in some American shopping centres: instead of a normal map or the familiar Google Street View, you can also navigate inside closed buildings with the help of augmented reality. A global rollout of the technology is now also planned in other locations.
Better orientation with augmented reality
Google is planning to revolutionise its map view. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), up to 100 improvements are to be made to the Maps application. One of the most exciting developments is the introduction of Google Live View for indoor areas. The technology is to be used primarily in confusing places such as train stations, airports and shopping centres.
Once you have activated Live View, arrows and instructions on the camera view show you exactly which step you need to take next to reach your destination. The existing indoor navigation is combined with augmented reality. In order to implement the Live View, a technology called Global Localisation scanned billions of Street View images and looked at how people orientate themselves on the move. This made it possible to determine the height and placement of objects in buildings and thus show exactly where to find the nearest escalator or the right gate.
Indoor Live View is launched first at Zurich Airport
As Google's European headquarters are located in Zurich, the start will be made there. Zurich Airport will be the first airport in the world to introduce the new ndoor Live View. However, the introduction is also set to begin in Tokyo in the same period.
According to the airport operator, the new Indoor Live View will improve the overall travelling experience, as it can provide great support for orientation.
Source: reisetopia / Horizont
Deutsch 
Français 
English (UK) 
Italiano