Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore!

agspins · 26th May 2011, 22:26

Hey guys i too remember seeing one near Akshardham way back in 2009, a grey MH Scorpio.

libranof1987 · 27th May 2011, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajesh.palaria

Just saw this at ET!

26th May, 2011 - Pictures - Pictures/Videos - News in Pictures | Economic Times

Exactly. The person responsible for the Indian operations mentioned that they have JUST started taking images.

Wonder what the vehicles were monitoring for so long!

Btw, do GPS vendors follow such practices too (taking 3D images of streets)? If yes, then it could easily be one of them; because the MUV I saw did not have Google explicitly written on it.

trinadha · 27th May 2011, 16:32

i doubt if it google's car coz i saw it last month itself;it seems to be some government survey vehicle

cooljai · 27th May 2011, 16:39

I think what Google did yesterday was a PR excercise and an official lauch.
They might have started the data colection long time back using the scorpios/alto that we were discussing. The Captiva had some 15 cameras, and I think they woud use that for important locations and use scorpios for other normal lanes.

devil_klm · 27th May 2011, 19:42

There was a news about Google street view in times of india.

Aspecially designed car with cameras mounted atop will be used by Google to capture images of landmarks in Bangalore. This is part of Street View, a popular map feature, that will be made available in India soon. Street View will allow users to virtually explore and navigate a particular place through 360 degree panoramic street-level images. Dispelling privacy concerns, Vinay Goel, product head, Google India, said images of only public places will be captured. As an additional privacy-protection measure, faces and licence number plates of all vehicles will be blurred

Source Article Window

NetfreakBombay · 27th May 2011, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by trinadha

i doubt if it google's car coz i saw it last month itself;it seems to be some government survey vehicle

Yes it was not Google's car. MH registered Scorpio are used by a different map data provider. It does not capture anything like "Street View". It captures:

1. Roads
2. 'Point of Interest' E.g. buildings / shops / restaurants

You might notice Scorpio stopping for a a few seconds in front of shops etc. This is to ensure:
a. Location is captured at least with 5 satellites
b. Camera gets a view of shop/building's name

Operator just hits enter when that happens and signals the driver to move on.

Dr.Suraj · 29th May 2011, 02:12

Thanks for this post ! - Excellent catch !!!

Finally we may have some good mapping !

abhisheksircar · 3rd June 2011, 16:15

Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore!-03062011255.jpg

Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore!-03062011256.jpg

This was spotted in the locality I stay in. Saw it, took out my car, clicked and back.

goingout · 4th June 2011, 10:45

So I guess the Scorpios are not related to Google then?

.anshuman · 4th June 2011, 10:50

I have spotted Innovas in Gurgaon with such gadgetry in Gurgaon. I wondered what this piece of equipment was. Not sure if it belonged to Google or someone else.

libranof1987 · 4th June 2011, 10:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Exactly. The person responsible for the Indian operations mentioned that they have JUST started taking images.

Wonder what the vehicles were monitoring for so long!

Btw, do GPS vendors follow such practices too (taking 3D images of streets)? If yes, then it could easily be one of them; because the MUV I saw did not have Google explicitly written on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goingout

So I guess the Scorpios are not related to Google then?

That's what I'm wondering too. The MUV I saw did not have Google or anything related written on; most of the cars in the pics posted on this thread too don't have Google written on them.

Probably, these cars were doing an initial recce for the Google cars to follow.

NetfreakBombay · 4th June 2011, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by libranof1987

The MUV I saw did not have Google or anything related written on; most of the cars in the pics posted on this thread too don't have Google written on them.

Probably, these cars were doing an initial recce for the Google cars to follow.

These are not Google cars. These cars belong to Map data providers that are building digital maps of India. This has been going on from 2001 onwards. Most of these are small companies that sell data to bigger companies like Navteq or Tomtom.

Couple of such cars got on wrong side of law for taking images/videos of sensitive areas (in 2008):

GPS surveyors booked under OSA - Times Of India

abhisheksircar · 20th June 2011, 22:56

The one I saw was Google car although their run has also taken a halt for now.

Bangalore cops tell Google to pull out Street View cars - The Times of India

rajesh.palaria · 21st June 2011, 14:35

Yeah Abhishek,
Read that too, I hope they were not covering some coveted mission of Bangy Police.. but I feel Google's India vision is too far streched when we don't have a well layed out civic amenties...God knows the road once mapped would dissappear the next day rains, cable wala, BESCOM & layout....

[FONT=Arial][FONT='Times New Roman'][COLOR=#800080]http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5223068[/COLOR][/FONT][/FONT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhisheksircar

The one I saw was Google car although their run has also taken a halt for now.

Bangalore cops tell Google to pull out Street View cars - The Times of India

ManualShift · 21st June 2011, 16:26

Hi, saw this car below maharani bag flyover in delhi yesterday. Not sure whether it is from Google maps or some other company as there were no markings on car. However from camera placement it definitively looks like someone is trying to capture the street view.

26th May 2011, 22:26	#31
agspins Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: MH-31 Posts: 1,653 Thanked: 508 Times View My Garage	re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! Hey guys i too remember seeing one near Akshardham way back in 2009, a grey MH Scorpio.
	() Thanks

27th May 2011, 16:32	#33
trinadha BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: HYDERABAD Posts: 244 Thanked: 22 Times	Re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! i doubt if it google's car coz i saw it last month itself;it seems to be some government survey vehicle
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27th May 2011, 16:39	#34
cooljai BHPian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: KL-30/KA-53 Posts: 103 Thanked: 28 Times	Re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! I think what Google did yesterday was a PR excercise and an official lauch. They might have started the data colection long time back using the scorpios/alto that we were discussing. The Captiva had some 15 cameras, and I think they woud use that for important locations and use scorpios for other normal lanes.
	() Thanks

27th May 2011, 19:42	#35
devil_klm BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Chicago Posts: 453 Thanked: 300 Times View My Garage	STREET VIEW Mapped For You There was a news about Google street view in times of india. Aspecially designed car with cameras mounted atop will be used by Google to capture images of landmarks in Bangalore. This is part of Street View, a popular map feature, that will be made available in India soon. Street View will allow users to virtually explore and navigate a particular place through 360 degree panoramic street-level images. Dispelling privacy concerns, Vinay Goel, product head, Google India, said images of only public places will be captured. As an additional privacy-protection measure, faces and licence number plates of all vehicles will be blurred Source Article Window
	() Thanks

29th May 2011, 02:12	#37
Dr.Suraj BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Mumbai Posts: 724 Thanked: 1,775 Times View My Garage	Re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! Thanks for this post ! - Excellent catch !!! Finally we may have some good mapping !
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3rd June 2011, 16:15	#38
abhisheksircar BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 522 Thanked: 1,720 Times	Spotted in HSR Layout, Bangalore This was spotted in the locality I stay in. Saw it, took out my car, clicked and back.
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4th June 2011, 10:45	#39
goingout BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 236 Thanked: 275 Times	Re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! So I guess the Scorpios are not related to Google then?
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4th June 2011, 10:50	#40
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	Re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! I have spotted Innovas in Gurgaon with such gadgetry in Gurgaon. I wondered what this piece of equipment was. Not sure if it belonged to Google or someone else.
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20th June 2011, 22:56	#43
abhisheksircar BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 522 Thanked: 1,720 Times	Re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! The one I saw was Google car although their run has also taken a halt for now. Bangalore cops tell Google to pull out Street View cars - The Times of India
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21st June 2011, 16:26	#45
ManualShift Newbie Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 7 Thanked: Once	Re: Have you seen Google Streetview cars? EDIT : Starting in Bangalore! Hi, saw this car below maharani bag flyover in delhi yesterday. Not sure whether it is from Google maps or some other company as there were no markings on car. However from camera placement it definitively looks like someone is trying to capture the street view.
	() Thanks