Google Maps is rolling out new options in India that use synthetic intelligence to assist drivers navigate overpasses and slender roads with ease on the earth’s most populous nation, which has huge roads, obstacles and a number of overpasses to cope with visitors jams.
On Thursday, Google introduced that it has constructed a synthetic intelligence mannequin particularly for Indian roads that may estimate street widths utilizing satellite tv for pc imagery and Road View knowledge. The mannequin additionally takes under consideration data reminiscent of street sort, distance between buildings, tree cowl, energy poles and gutters to assist riders keep away from slender roads.
Navigation perform
When customers choose four-wheel mode whereas navigating, Google Maps will present routes that keep away from slender roads. Nevertheless, Google says the replace may also assist cyclists in two-wheeler mode and pedestrians in strolling mode safely cross India’s slender roads.
Typically, you continue to must cross slender roads, particularly in case your vacation spot is on a slender avenue. Because of this, Google Maps provides callouts to navigation to warn you of slender sections of street forward.
Google says the Slender Roads characteristic is initially obtainable on Android gadgets in eight cities and will likely be obtainable on iOS quickly.
Along with with the ability to keep away from slender roads, Google Maps additionally integrates interchange annotations into the navigation expertise, permitting customers to see upcoming interchanges alongside the way in which and resolve prematurely whether or not to cross by means of the interchange.
Till now, Google Maps has been instructing drivers to “take the ramp” when going up or down flyovers, however the time period just isn’t generally utilized in India. Moreover, the map advises drivers to take “[Road name] street. Nevertheless, in India, drivers might not know the names of the roads, or the names will not be displayed prominently, inflicting extra confusion. On this case, clear directions like “take the overpass” are higher cues.
Flyover callouts will likely be obtainable on Android gadgets and Android Auto for four-wheeler and two-wheeler navigation in 40 cities in India. Google says the characteristic will quickly be obtainable on Apple’s CarPlay as nicely.
Moreover, Google Maps has added electrical automobile charging stations in India – greater than 5 years after it was first launched in the USA in 2018. Google has partnered with electrical automobile charging suppliers and aggregators reminiscent of ElectricPe, Ather Power, Kazam and Statiq to show related data. There are greater than 8,000 charging stations on Google Maps in India.
When customers seek for charging stations on Google Maps, they are going to see data such because the plug sorts supported by obtainable charging stations.
Notably, that is additionally the primary time that Google Maps reveals two-wheeler electrical automobile charging stations, as the worldwide launch of charging stations is for four-wheelers, contemplating that electrical two-wheelers dominate the Indian electrical automobile market.
mass transportation
Google introduced a partnership with India’s Open Community for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and Namma Yatri.
This week, the corporate launched a characteristic that permits customers to ebook Kochi and Chennai metro tickets instantly throughout the Google Maps interface by means of Namma Yatri integration. After cost, customers will obtain tickets within the type of a QR code. Google added that it’s going to add extra cities and extra modes of transportation.
Notably, Google Maps shows Uber and Ola cab costs when customers enter their vacation spot. Nevertheless, the characteristic was finally discontinued.
Google additionally added, “The place’s My Prepare?,” an app for practice monitoring in India acquired in 2018 that has greater than 100 million month-to-month lively customers;
Earlier this 12 months, Google rolled out curated place listings in choose U.S. cities and Canada. The corporate is now partnering with Magicpin and NDTV Meals to deliver this characteristic to India. Beginning this week, customers will have the ability to see these listings in Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Jaipur. Google Maps will show these listings when a person searches for phrases like “finest sea view cafes in Goa” or “high breakfast locations in Mumbai.”
The corporate stated it has additionally up to date its interface to make it simpler for customers to report collisions, slowdowns, development, lane closures, stalled autos and objects on the street by means of clickable icons on Android, iOS, Android Auto and Apple and different occasions.
