Google Maps Outlines Future Plans: New Countries, 3D, Backpack and Offline Mode

Google has made note of all of the updates they are doing with Google Maps to keep it number one in that field.

Street View Trekker now allows anyone to carry the equipment in a back pack allowing people to eventually see into places like the Grand Canyon.

They mention being more accurate and expanding into places like South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Denmark and many other countries.

More usability will also be added including the ability to use Google Maps offline. Perfect for when you get lost in the Grand Canyon when you have no internet access.

Finally comes one of the coolest features yet and that will be the ability to model the world in 3D as seen in this YouTube video:

“An important next step in improving all of these areas—comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usability of our maps—is the ability to model the world in 3D. Since 2006, we’ve had textured 3D buildings in Google Earth, and today we are excited to announce that we will begin adding 3D models to entire metropolitan areas to Google Earth on mobile devices. This is possible thanks to a combination of our new imagery rendering techniques and computer vision that let us automatically create 3D cityscapes, complete with buildings, terrain and even landscaping, from 45-degree aerial imagery. By the end of the year we aim to have 3D coverage for metropolitan areas with a combined population of 300 million people.”