Google demonstrates navigation in Maps using augmented reality

Google has sent The Wall Street Journal a version of Maps that enables navigation using augmented reality. The ar function makes it easier to find the right direction and makes positioning more accurate.

The Wall Street Journal has received a smartphone from Google with an unreleased version of Maps, which contains the ar function. The newspaper demonstrates how it works in a video. When users open the app and enter a route, they must point the phone at the environment. The camera then searches for landmarks in the image and thus determines what the user is looking at. The app uses the Street View image database for this.

The ar functionality is intended for navigating on foot. In particular, determining the initial walking direction should be easier with the help of augmented reality. Placing a pin with a location also becomes more precise, especially in environments where, for example, there are many tall buildings and GPS has difficulty determining the location of the user.

Google already announced the arrival of augmented reality within Maps at its I/O developer event last year. The feature will be released to some Local Guides first and will be available to all users later. When that will be is not yet known.