Google Maps Introduces New AI-Based Features In India: Lens in Maps, Live View And More

Tech giant Google has announced a bunch of new features and updates for users of Maps in India. The company in a blog post said that its goal with Google Maps has always been to organise information about the real-world and make it accessible and useful for everyone.

Along this journey, AI has supercharged the way we map for nearly a decade, enabling us to build a comprehensive, up-to-date, and helpful map that's at the foundation of everything we do, Google said.

In India, AI has allowed Google to map millions of kilometers of urban and rural roads and more than 300 million buildings, the company said, adding that this is serving millions of users on a daily basis, on average surfacing over 50 million searches across multiple languages and powering over 2.5 billion km of directions every single day on Google Maps in India.

"As we think about the future of Google Maps in India we continue to focus on unlocking the immense power of digital mapping with AI, along with the support of our local partners, to deliver richer solutions that can benefit everyone – users, businesses, and society," Google said.

The company mentioned the three three key areas it is focused on:

1. Building a richer and more comprehensive map localized for the needs of Indian users

2. Building a more visual and immersive map to transform the way users navigate and explore the world.

3. Catering to India’s diverse mobility needs, from public transport to sustainable journeys

Google shared a few ways it is bringing this vision to life with new India-first and India-focussed innovations.

"We're introducing a new India-first innovation, Address Descriptors on Google Maps, to help our users understand addresses better, in a way they are used to in real life," Google announced.

Dropping a location pin on Google Maps and sharing it with friends and family is a very common practice in India. Using a combination of machine learning signals Google Maps will automatically find up to five of the most relevant landmarks and area names around a user's pinned address, and display the landmark reference when they share their location.

This will make it easier for users to locate these addresses in unfamiliar areas. This feature will be rolled out for users across India early next year.

Next, Google Maps users will be able to easily understand their surroundings with Lens in Maps.

Imagine you are in a busy market and need to make a quick decision on where to eat with your friends. Simply point your camera down the street and you will instantly see nearby restaurants and cafes, as well as useful information like opening hours, ratings, reviews and photos. Lens in Maps will be launching in 15 cities across India by Jan 2024, starting with Android.

With this feature, a user will see arrows, directions, and distance markers overlaid on the Maps screen, helping them quickly figure out which way to head in. Their phone will also vibrate when it’s time to make a turn or they've reached your destination. Live View walking navigation is coming to over 3,000 cities and towns in India, starting with Android.

Google said that it is bringing innovations like Lens in Maps and Live View walking navigation to India by combining Street View imagery along with advanced AI and AR technologies to create these immersive experiences.