Preview immersive 3D landscape of your destination, thanks to Google Maps

October 31, 2023

In Google I/O, which was heavily based on AI, they also introduced us to Immersive View on Google Maps. Now, they have published it alongside other AI-focused capabilities. So, without further ado, allow me to get into all the new features in the Google Maps AI Update.

Google Maps AI Update: Overview

First, starting with the region-specific features (on-launch)

Immersive View

Immersive View is a new way to navigate through places by placing 3D models of the street on the map. From starting to finishing point, the app will show you a preview of the multidimensional structure of the route. What it uses is AI to combine billions of Street Views and aerial images for one complete view of the street.

Moreover, before leaving the place, you can prepare by using the time slider to determine when to leave. This feature simulates traffic and weather conditions at any given time while rendering models to best estimate the scene. Besides, developers can even create their own immersive experiences with photorealistic 3D tiles on the Google Maps Platform.

The only catch is that this feature is released first in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tokyo, and Venice. Google will be adding other cities slowly.

Lens in Map

Previously named “Search with Live View”, Lens in Maps lets you view the live markings on the building using augmented reality in conjunction with AI. Furthermore, once you get to the location, you can get recommendations to (let’s say) a coffee shop precisely based on where you are.

This feature will roll out in more than 50 new cities, including Austin, Las Vegas, Rome, São Paulo, and Taipei. However, Nepal won’t see any of the features until much later.

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More detailed maps

Google Maps will show new maps with more precision. The navigation will include more realistic buildings with updated colors to best represent a place. This particular feature will come to 12 countries, including the U.S., Canada, France, and Germany, in the coming months.

Additionally, there will be information about HOV lanes along your route for people in the US. And for those of you in Europe, the AI-powered speed limit information is expanding to 20 countries.

Now, to the features everyone can enjoy today

EV charging information

EV owners have a hard time refueling their vehicles, as it is a hassle to find a charging station in the town. Not only that but knowing the charging compatibility is also a sort of a problem. With the update, the map shows much more information about the station and its active status alongside the charging speed. Making it quite easy for the users to skip an inactive station.

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Find Inspirations

Another AI feature is “finding inspiration for things to do”. You can search Google Maps for what you want to do, and the maps will suggest the locations for you. There is also an image-based search utilizing AI. And when you click on one of the images, Google Maps will find you location that best fits the image. Their article states:

Now, when you search in Maps for specific things like the best place to find “animal latte art” or “pumpkin patch with my dog,” you’ll get photo-first results of what you’re looking for. These results are based on the analysis of billions of photos shared by the Google Maps community — all done with AI and advanced image recognition models.

Also, if you are somewhere outside and you ask for “things to do” in Google Maps, it will suggest multiple sections to do at the particular location. Further clicking on the option will show you the places to go for that particular theme.

Google Maps AI Update: Availability

Most of the features are currently locked within a geographic area. However, Google mentioned that the features will be extended all across the world. All of the features will be released on both Android and iOS. And the cars with Google built-in will get the detailed maps going for them as well.