Google will bring more than 100 AI-powered improvements to its Maps feature this year, allowing users to get a clearer, more complete window into their worlds.
In an announcement posted on the company website Tuesday, VP of Product Dane Glasgow says the improvements will help users shop, plan trips and explore new places.
For example, advances to Google’s Live View function have allowed the search engine to understand the precise orientation of objects in a building, meaning Google can “bring Live View to some of the trickiest-to-navigate places indoors: airports, transit stations and malls.”
That means a traveler visiting an airport can use Live View to find their gate, baggage claims, elevators, restrooms, ATMs and more. Shoppers inside a mall can use it to find out which floor a store is located and the fastest way to get there.
This feature is live now at malls in a number of cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco, and will be rolled out in airports, malls and transit stations in Tokyo and Zurich in the coming months.
Glasgow writes that Google is also bringing useful shopping data to business profiles on maps and search, giving customers information on delivery providers, pick-up and delivery windows and order minimums. This service will be added to Google mobile search starting with Instascart and Albertsons stores in the U.S., with “plans to expand to Maps and other partners.”
Google will also work with the Fred Meyer supermarket in Portland, Oregon on a project to simplify grocery pick-up. Users can place an order on the store’s app and then add it to Maps to receive a notification when it’s time to leave, updating the store with their ETA based on location and traffic. They can check in when they arrive and get their order through seamless, contactless delivery.
Other new Maps features include directions that include the most fuel-efficient routes and information about weather and air quality.
These improvements follow Google’s COVID-inspired update to Maps last year that spotlighted restaurants offering pick-up and delivery.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More