Key Highlights
- Google introduced Lens in Maps and Live View Walking Navigation to its mapping service in India.
- The company will also enable fuel-efficient routing for the users in the country.
- Google Maps also added Address Descriptors.
An update to Google Maps for India will bring AI-powered capabilities. The update brings new features like Lens in Maps, Live View Walking Navigation, fuel-efficient routing and address descriptors. In addition to this Google has also partnered with ONDC and Namma Yatri to help digitise public transport at scale.
Miriam Karthika Daniel, VP – Google Maps Experiences, elaborated on the company’s priorities for the country, saying, “AI has accelerated our ability to build solutions that can scale to the diversity and complexity of a country like India. As we look to the future of Google Maps, we’re committed to building a map that helps people go from knowing about a place to truly experiencing it. We’re also focused on catering to India’s diverse mobility needs, from sustainable journeys to public transport. We are delighted to partner with ONDC and Namma Yatri to enable a more digitised public transport experience accessible to all users. India is rapidly transforming, and at Google Maps, and we are excited by the opportunities ahead of us.”
Google Maps for India is adding live view walking, Lens in Maps, and other features to Google Maps Street View. These features are made possible by advanced AI and AR technologies. The lens in Maps is to help users quickly identify useful information about nearby cafes and restaurants, including details like opening hours, ratings, reviews, and images, by just pointing the camera down a street. Whereas the live view walking will assist users in quickly figuring out which way to head by seeing arrows, directions, and distance markers overlaid on the Maps screen.
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Along with improvements for train travel and public transport, Maps will now support local trains in Mumbai and Kolkata thanks to the Where Is My Train feature. It will provide real-time train locations, schematic maps, platform numbers and more, with additional cities coming soon.
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Google has also introduced Address Descriptors that makes it easier for users to make it easier for users to identify locations based on landmarks. When you drop a pin while sharing a location Google Maps uses a combination of machine learning signals to identify up to five of the most relevant landmarks and display the landmark reference.
Google has also announced the new fuel-efficient routing feature coming to India to help people make more sustainable choices across two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Maps will determine the route that uses the least amount of fuel.
The company is going to roll out this feature for two-wheelers in India and Indonesia.
