Google Maps gets new 'Immersive View' feature

The Immersive view mode is said to offer impressive levels of zoom taken from Google Earth but applied on a neighbourhood level.

Google has rolled out a new mode for its Maps, called "Immersive View". The new feature is said to be sort of a street view from the sky; in the sense that it allows users to look at a location from above, before dropping down to specific spots via Street View. The Maps are overlayed with live busyness and traffic information via a quasi-augmented reality.

The images for the new Immersive View are all computer-generated, combining Street View with Google's Satellite captures. The data from both are then fused together and set in a precisely scaled world. The Immersive view mode is said to offer impressive levels of zoom taken from Google Earth but applied on a neighbourhood level.

The Immersive view feature is said to work on most devices. However, it is currently limited to neighbourhoods in San Fransico, New York, Los Angeles, London & Tokyo. Google will be adding more cities in the future.

Source: TheVerge