Google has revealed the latest feature of its Maps programme – A 3D mapping tool for cities called Google Immersive View.

At the recent Google I/O 2022 keynote, company CEO Sundar Pichai debuted a new Maps feature giving users a drone-level aerial view of cities.

Immersive View uses billions of photos and artificial intelligence to model buildings and trees in 3D using machine learning, Pichai said.

The new view lets users understand the topography of the city they are in, as well as rotate their perspective to look between buildings, and see traffic and weather conditions at different times of day.

Immersive View also allows users to get a 3D view into nearby restaurants for the first time, allowing for a full 3D scan of a room.

Users can rotate their view to get a better look at the layout, which would help with something like the easing of Covid restriction where people may still be unsure about indoor eating.

Google Immersive View is created from neural rendering based on photos alone and is streamed from Google Cloud, so it will run on any smartphone or device, Pichai added.

The new view will start rolling out o Google Maps in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo later this year with more cities to be added soon, the firm said.

In a recent blog post laying out the new tech, Google said: “Thanks to advances in computer vision and AI that allow us to fuse together billions of Street View and aerial images to create a rich, digital model of the world — we’re introducing a whole new way to explore with Maps.

“With our new immersive view, you’ll be able to experience what a neighbourhood, landmark, restaurant, or popular venue is like — and even feel like you’re right there before you ever set foot inside.

“So, whether you’re traveling somewhere new or scoping out hidden local gems, immersive view will help you make the most informed decisions before you go.”

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As well as the 3D mapping tool several other features were announced that work in conjunction with the new programme.

The firm has previously launched “eco-friendly routing” in the US and Canada, allowing a user to choose the most fuel-efficient route when looking for driving directions — helping to save money on fuel, which is vital right now it hits record prices.

Additionally, Google has implemented new ‘Live View’ technology which uses augmented reality (AR) to display directional arrows over the top of the visible world.

Google said the feature is “especially helpful when navigating tricky indoor areas,” such as airports, and train stations.

“Thanks to our AI-based technology called global localization, Google Maps can point you where you need to go in a matter of seconds,” Google said in their blog post.

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