With its comprehensive aerial imagery and Street View, Google has completely disrupted the way we interact with maps. Now, thanks to better satellite resolution and artificial intelligence, Google has even more insight to offer into our present and our past. Whether you use Google Maps and Earth professionally or for casually stalking your childhood home, there are three new imagery updates you should know about.
Google Earth Expands Its Historical Images
For researchers or just the geographically curious, Google has expanded the historical imagery on its Earth platform. According to Google’s blog post which announced the update, these images are available on both the web and mobile versions of Google Earth. So, feel free to compare the past and present, through features like Timelapse, and witness the evolution of landscapes and human infrastructure.
Additionally, images as far back as the 1930s have been added to certain areas. Of course, back then, the imagery was not captured by Google’s satellites, but originated from other sources like aircraft pilots.
Google Applies AI Cloud-Removal Technology to Satellite Imagery
Alongside expanding its historical collection, Google is improving its present imagery through AI. Using an AI model called Cloud Score+ on “millions of images,” Google is able to remove certain distracting weather elements while keeping others for the sake of “accuracy.” At any rate, here’s how Google breaks it down:
We’ve used our Cloud Score+ AI model, trained on millions of images, to recognize and remove things like clouds, cloud shadows, haze and mist. At the same time, this model keeps real-world weather patterns — like ice, snow and mountain shadows — visible on the map. The result is a refreshed global mosaic that gives you a clearer, more accurate look at Earth.
I understand using technology to obtain a clearer image. However, referencing an AI-edited image as a “more accurate” representation is an interesting choice of words.
Google Street View Expands to More Countries
Lastly, in this campaign to broaden our view of the world, Google has leveraged a new, more lightweight camera to improve its Street View imagery on the Maps platform. Google claims that it has added updated imagery for nearly 80 countries around the world, including some new locations never before seen on Street View. The firm did not clarify which countries were new.
I must say, as a writer and outdoors-fan, updates like this are largely positive from my perspective. Living in California, where water scarcity has created dramatic shifts in the landscape, I enjoy observing how things have changed. Being able to make these observations in greater detail thanks to improved satellite resolution and AI is also exciting. That said, the AI cloud-removal technology can feel ominously reminiscent to an creative photo editing app like Facetune. Removing some haze is innocent enough, but I’m advancing cautiously.
