During the developer conference of I / O 2018, Google displayed a new augmented reality feature for Google Maps, which would give people guidance on the camera on their smartphone in real time.
Google has started rolling out AR Maps on Monday for a small subset of the Google Local Guides, people who volunteered to add items like photos and comments to Google Maps. The new feature is designed to help people navigate cities, with demonstrations of digital traffic signals and virtual arrows superimposed on the sidewalk to show which way to go.
How will it work?
Users keep their smartphone in front of them to view an augmented reality version of Maps. You have to solve the problem that many people encounter when using an online map to navigate: which direction to follow, for example, a right turn, is not always apparent.
To prevent accidents, the onscreen request encourages users to put the phone down to the floor after receiving the correct route so they can pay attention to the surrounding environment.
A Google calls the experience “global location”. The phone's GPS points out the user's approximate location and, in a few milliseconds, you will have to click on the smartphone's camera to compare what you see to the images in Google Street View. The technology can quickly pinpoint your exact location and provide more accurate guidance.
When testing Local Guides, Google hopes to find even more ways to improve the product. So when it's released to everyone, it's something that all users are excited to use.
