Google Street View heads indoors
Google’s ubiquitous Street View service has already made it as far as the Amazon rainforest but now the search giants boffins are keen to step things up a gear with the launch of a pilot indoor photography service.
Eschewing the familiar road bound recording system this latest venture provides professional 360 degree imagery of notable interiors along the roadside – purely on a voluntary basis.
Initially this will see the most searched for businesses invited to receive a visit from the US firm’s team of photographers in key cities across the UK, Japan, new Zealand and the US.
A spokesman said: “Building on the Google Art Project, which took Street View technology inside 17 acclaimed museums, this project is another creative implementation of Street View technology, to help businesses as they build their online presence.
"We hope to enable businesses to highlight the qualities that make their locations stand out through professional, high-quality imagery."
Branded chains, hospitals and lawyers offices have been ruled out for the time being whilst Google has been at pains to stress any people unwittingly captured during the process will have their faces blurred out.
Businesses will also have the opportunity to upload their own photos – although these will automatically become Google property.