Is Google Planning to Take Street View into Stores? (Updated)
According to a new rumor, Google could soon take Street View indoors and allow its users to walk into virtual stores. Barry Schwartz from Search Engine Land just received information from a retailer in New York that Google came to their store to take pictures of the inside of the store.
Update: We just received confirmation from an anonymous source that Google is indeed working on this project.
We just heard from a retailer in San Francisco that Google also photographed the inside of their store about 2 weeks ago - after seeking permission to do so, of course. According to our source, the Google employee used a "specialized camera which he rotated to take the 360 degree shot." In addition, he also took shots "looking out of the store as if exiting." This last part makes sense if Google wants to use this sequence of images to simulate the process of entering and exiting the store.
Of course, scaling up a program like this would be a lot harder to do than having a fleet of cars drive around the country and take photos in what is now a mostly automated process.
Here is the image that Search Engine Land received from the New York-based retailer:
Given that Google is already using its Street View trikes in parks, university campuses and zoos, locations like large malls would seem like a more reasonable area to expand Street View to first. Taking Street View indoors does make a lot of sense, however. Stores and malls are the obvious example that Google could monetize, but the company could also use the same technology in museums or public buildings.
The problem with these locations, though, is that Google can't rely solely on GPS to create these indoor views. Maybe that's why the company decided to work with smaller locations first to try out different methods for creating reliable indoor maps efficiently. It is worth noting that there are currently only a handful of mobile apps that offer indoor maps.
We asked Google for a comment about this rumor and will update the story once we hear back from them.
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1. I would guess they will rely as well on Wi-Fi for locatio
2. "Store maps" interesting concept -- relevant to AR
3. Privacy issues?
ceo
Crazy stuff. Somehow, I like Microsoft's PhotoSynth approach better than Google's, as it is more decentralized, in the spirit of the Internet. Let the feeds come from everywhere and just stitch them all in real time. Give cities and individuals incentives to install small, cheap webcams everywhere, controlled by the respective property owners, and feed them all to a central server to deliver real time street and store views.
@jean-michel: I'm a big PhotoSynth fan, too. Shame there aren't more people who use it. Google's approach is definitely very different. If I remember it right, Microsoft Research is working on a project that creates real-time PhotoSynths.
Sounds like a very good idea... now if we can combine that with an augmented reality app, complete with participating stores' current inventories and planograms, we've got ourselves a spectacular way to GPS your way right to whatever you want to buy (Turn left down the third aisle. Walk fifteen feet. Turn right. You have reached "Young Frankenstein".)
I just don't buy this story. Looks more like a clever stunt by the retailer. Surely if it was Google they'd at least have used a 360º camera rather than a guy with a tripod and DSLR.
Google has long paid people to go into businesses and confirm their address and hours, take pictures of the front and (if the owner allows it) the inside of their stores.
This is probably just that. And the owner got confused.
The independent contractor gets paid a small amount when the owner confirms the information on-line.
My wife did this a year or so ago. She got to know all of the local store owners.
What a cool publicity stunt! Oh man just imagine though that in 10 years time we might be taking a virtual run around the running track or a virtual walk down the shops rather than actually going outside. :) Paul http://1daylater.com
There is some value to this, but....
the shopping comparision sites working on price scans via bar code will get the online traffic from consumers
Boring....Let me know when they start taking pictures from inside restaurant kitchens, or maybe an even better one...gas station bathrooms.
Google Store View, plus Google Goggles, plus a coupon distribution system would be one hell of a killer app.
Watch as Google combines this tech with the ability to overlay their own paid ads onto "your" virtual store. Watch as the Pepsi machine becomes Coke, Bud poster becomes Coors etc.
I personally don't see much point or benefit to this if it is real. Shops and malls change way too frequently inside for it to be of any real benefit to anyone... It would be way more useful if clicking on a shops doorway opened up their online store or website if they have one...
I can however see the benefit/interest of doing 360 degree views within museums, university campus buildings and live entertainment venus.
Google car in a ram raid possibly?
thats good Give cities and individuals incentives to install small, cheap webcams everywhere, controlled by the respective property owners, and feed them all to a central server to deliver real time street and store views.
Finding your way in a H&M store.
That was what the world was waiting for.
Something really captivating... In terms of manipulating other objects. take a look at what a company called neustep did at CES. The have a technology called webwalk. Take a look:
http://reviews.cnet.com/showcase/samsung-webwalk/
you can walk through this years Samsung booth at CES. Click on videos in side of it, read product information. Amazing. Pair google and neustep and you'll never have to leave your house. :)
Many large retail stores use standardized shelving layouts called 'planograms' which dictate where specific products are located in-store. Planogram data (either obtained directly or derived by 'spidering' (aka: photographing) several in-store layouts) would massively reduce the computational overhead needed to ID products and overlay advertising or coupon offers.
Do you know Czech Yellow pages? http://3d.zlatestranky.cz/?point=000656
Google actually came into our store last week. So it looks like they are moving along with this project.