I guess I don't see the need for this...when I have problems with directions using Google Maps or similar services it's because things aren't accurate enough and jump around in a super wonky...
I guess I don't see the need for this...when I have problems with directions using Google Maps or similar services it's because things aren't accurate enough and jump around in a super wonky annoying way, not the way the directions are displayed. If anything, I imagine it'll be worse having slight instability and inaccuracies when it's in first person, but maybe it just feels right in a way that can't be communicated without trying it.
If I understood the article correctly it looks like they're using this to try to fix that problem:
If I understood the article correctly it looks like they're using this to try to fix that problem:
When you need to decide where to turn next, you can tilt the phone upwards. Google Maps then tries to understand your location based on the imagery around you.
That's right. Along with the fancy new AR feature, Google is also trying to improve the accuracy of your location by using Visual Positioning Service (VPS), Street View, and machine learning.
...
The technicalities of how Google pinpoints your location can be confusing, but the team says if you've ever struggled with the "blue dot" problem — where the blinking blue dot on a map is across the street or on a different block from where you actually are — then you understand the problem they're trying to solve with imagery and machine learning.
It's a neat feature to have on your phone but obviously the use-case that would really change how we navigate our world will be when we have AR glasses to use with this. There's a big difference...
It's a neat feature to have on your phone but obviously the use-case that would really change how we navigate our world will be when we have AR glasses to use with this. There's a big difference between walking around with your phone out in an unfamiliar area and having to keep holding it up (with a nag screen telling you to put it down again) vs having this as an always-on default that you don't even have to think about using. I do worry though about what it will do to our sense of direction if it becomes ubiquitous: learning your way around an area or trying to find something new are skills and like any skill they have to be learned and practiced. If you have IRL quest markers then why would you need to learn how to orient yourself, recognize landmarks, remember street names, etc.
On a more positive note the fact that this tech allows for more accurately determining your position opens up interesting possibilities for people with disabilities. If you're visually impaired, for instance, I imagine a version of this with audio cues could be very useful to help you find your way around an unfamiliar area.
I also feel the way you described in your first paragraph. There are a lot of people I know who don't know how to navigate the city they've lived in for 5+ years without GPS. To me, that seems...
I also feel the way you described in your first paragraph. There are a lot of people I know who don't know how to navigate the city they've lived in for 5+ years without GPS. To me, that seems like a big problem. Our over-reliance on technology is all well and good while these services remain functional, but, personally, I'd rather be able to exist and find my way around in the case that these services stop working.
Unfortunately, Google Glass was made by Google, and thus was uncool and dorky. Hopefully Apple creates something similar soon so that they can claim they invented it and it becomes socially...
Unfortunately, Google Glass was made by Google, and thus was uncool and dorky. Hopefully Apple creates something similar soon so that they can claim they invented it and it becomes socially acceptable, lowering the price and maturing the technology.
I think it's an interesting first step. Clearly they'll be collecting this visual data to help improve their ability to recognize buildings. It would not surprise me if in the future you'll be...
I think it's an interesting first step. Clearly they'll be collecting this visual data to help improve their ability to recognize buildings. It would not surprise me if in the future you'll be able to open maps, hold your phone up at a building, and have a small pop-up which gives you some information - for example, the hours if it's a coffee shop, or the ticket price if it's a museum. I think this extra information really exists best through google glass or something else that's displaying a HUD over our actual eyesight, but I see the technological building blocks they are setting up here.
I guess I don't see the need for this...when I have problems with directions using Google Maps or similar services it's because things aren't accurate enough and jump around in a super wonky annoying way, not the way the directions are displayed. If anything, I imagine it'll be worse having slight instability and inaccuracies when it's in first person, but maybe it just feels right in a way that can't be communicated without trying it.
Still, it's at least cool.
If I understood the article correctly it looks like they're using this to try to fix that problem:
I don't think what I experience is the "blue dot" problem, but regardless any attempt to improve accuracy is welcome.
It's a neat feature to have on your phone but obviously the use-case that would really change how we navigate our world will be when we have AR glasses to use with this. There's a big difference between walking around with your phone out in an unfamiliar area and having to keep holding it up (with a nag screen telling you to put it down again) vs having this as an always-on default that you don't even have to think about using. I do worry though about what it will do to our sense of direction if it becomes ubiquitous: learning your way around an area or trying to find something new are skills and like any skill they have to be learned and practiced. If you have IRL quest markers then why would you need to learn how to orient yourself, recognize landmarks, remember street names, etc.
On a more positive note the fact that this tech allows for more accurately determining your position opens up interesting possibilities for people with disabilities. If you're visually impaired, for instance, I imagine a version of this with audio cues could be very useful to help you find your way around an unfamiliar area.
I also feel the way you described in your first paragraph. There are a lot of people I know who don't know how to navigate the city they've lived in for 5+ years without GPS. To me, that seems like a big problem. Our over-reliance on technology is all well and good while these services remain functional, but, personally, I'd rather be able to exist and find my way around in the case that these services stop working.
Unfortunately, Google Glass was made by Google, and thus was uncool and dorky. Hopefully Apple creates something similar soon so that they can claim they invented it and it becomes socially acceptable, lowering the price and maturing the technology.
Say this technology becomes widely adopted, the data that could be collected would be very interesting, almost like outsourcing Google Maps Cars.
I think it's an interesting first step. Clearly they'll be collecting this visual data to help improve their ability to recognize buildings. It would not surprise me if in the future you'll be able to open maps, hold your phone up at a building, and have a small pop-up which gives you some information - for example, the hours if it's a coffee shop, or the ticket price if it's a museum. I think this extra information really exists best through google glass or something else that's displaying a HUD over our actual eyesight, but I see the technological building blocks they are setting up here.
Anyone been invited to the alpha? I'm a local guide (although not super active), but this is the first I've heard about this.