How often do you drag that little yellow character on Google Maps over onto the Map Market pinhead and get amazing augmented reality of another visual dimension? See it before you go.
Do most of your friends and family know whom Pegman is and what it does? I doubt it. I would like to be proven wrong! It’s such a great AR (augmented reality) capability looking for something useful to do. The Killer App has has arrived. Off into the great unknown. Here we go …
If you have grabbed the little yellow Pegman character and dragged it onto Google Maps; you are then familiar with the Google Street View AR visualization features of the dimensions of the surroundings — a bunch of images stitched together to make a 360 degree panoramic view — video like- of what it looks like on the ground.
Additional 3rd Party Google Map Street View Extensions (like Matterport) to visually search around a specific location are also happening to smoothly glide right -inside- into the interior of a physical building from the location – maybe from a parking lot right inside a shopping plaza interior. This is seamless; just like walking around and the images transition smoothly from outside into an interior for example.
Powerful useful AR Visualization capabilities to see what is there before you go.
As long as someone went the location in advance with a camera or video gear and posted some photos or maybe a video into Google Cloud, you get the additional visualization dimensions benefits of Google Street View imaging along with Google Maps details. Pretty amazing exploration enhancement right on the ground on the spot in 360 degree.
Similar to the comeback of the QR Code – that sat off to the side of the technology bench –until– the marketplace needed it for something compelling instead of an Advertising window sticker- or thought we needed – like Touchless and Germ Free interaction with Restaurant Menus to launch a Website conveniently.
Also there was an element of a substantial need to reduce any speaking to the Server or Hostess which coud spread potentially deadly aerosol germs. And go Green to print less paper and nasty printer ink being wasted on Menus as well. … Now it has evolved into a nifty Advertising scheme to run to your TV flat screen to catch and scan a promotional item into the Website. Click. Scan. Clever.
… Author opinion
So what is the big deal? That Pegman visualization booster has been around forever.
The Federal Government is offering billions of dollars in incentives to locate and build-out Electric Vehicle Charging equipment on properties located in marginalized economic zones. Seems like a dichotomy of forces? Expensive and exclusive meets marginalized. What could go wrong? There goes that recipe again.
Electric cars purchased with price tags well over 50 grand that are going to drive into these special ‘zones’ with some extra edge on the to be Charged Up for maybe an hour or maybe a few hours; in areas where property investment maybe has been lacking for a long time – and maybe where personal safety will be lacking too?
It is critical that electric vehicle charging equipment be placed in Safe property locations.
And the amenities plus the totality of the property at that location is made safe within itself so that the electric vehicle (the EV) can be Charged Up AND the person or people (and the Kids) with that car are safe at that location. If you leave the vehicle to get into the shade or out of shear boredom find something to eat / drink; the vehicle needs to safe from theft, damage or fear of vandalism. Just thinking about what might happen while sitting there and sweating in your car is unpleasant. Talk to random people also charging the EV’s? That’s not everyone’s idea of a great nor safe time.
Pegman’s additional super power of on-the-ground visualization from Google Maps can help alot. Tesla has certainly started to assist with their User Community posting photos. But the lack the context of the extended area adds risk.
Aerial video can also help too. We are off into the great unkown and standing around loitering in an unknown Parking Lot while Charging your EV sounds potentially unsafe and a rock in the path of electric vehicle adoption and growth.
My viewpoint here expresses why Street View AR augmentation now matters MORE than ever. Fear of random violence and Personal Safety is increasing. Also personal property theft, damage or vandalization worries. The Anxiety is real.
