[globular-toast]

I have always wondered if/when Google will start using their streetview data to improve mapping. They could (in theory) generate directions like "turn left after the green building" and find speed limits, road surface, width, and potentially even bus routes and stuff like that. They don't seem to, though. The routes they generate are always incredibly naive when it comes to actual road type, like "let's go up this single track road with a 20% gradient to save 2 minutes".

Curious whether you think this is more than just improving mapping/routing related stuff, though.

[anamexis]

They do use streetview data to improve mapping, particularly for things like speed limits (like you mentioned) and other signage (street names, identifying which intersections have stop signs, etc.)

[maelito]

> "let's go up this single track road with a 20% gradient to save 2 minutes"

Not sure this is a good example : elevation data should be good enough to avoid this kind of roads. See e.g. https://sonny.4lima.de for Europe.

For your general thought, see here : https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-101-how-we-map...

> It all starts with imagery

> Street View and satellite imagery have long been an important part of how we’re able to identify where places are in the world—it shows us where roadways, buildings, addresses and businesses are located in a region, in addition to other important details—such as the town’s speed limits or business names.

So I guess what you're proposing is already done for several years but in more subtle ways.

Remember that Google Maps doesn't have the power of OSM. Hence the need for automation.

[globular-toast]

> Not sure this is a good example : elevation data should be good enough to avoid this kind of roads.

I'm not sure elevation data is enough, nor is speed limit. In many places, like the Cotswolds, the main route includes a 20% gradient. The difference is the road will be wide with overtaking lanes etc. and often a reduced speed limit. Then you have places like Devon where there are national speed limit (the highest) roads with such poor visibility they are best avoided unless you have no other choice. I find it's hard to know what the quality or "character" of a road will be until you actually get there, but Google seems to treat them all equally.

[Raphaellll]

I did a project that attempts to generate these types of instructions: https://map2seq.schumann.pub/nllni/demo/

[apayan]

> generate directions like "turn left after the green building"

I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the Los Angeles metro area, Google Maps already gives directions like this. "Turn left after the Carl's Jr.", "Turn right after the Starbucks". I notice it's usually done in areas where street signs are hard to see, but there is a clear landmark for the driver e.g. the golden arches of a McDonald's.

[Arelius]

To be clear, streetview was originally built to improve mapping. You can thank the wealth of street names and address labels on streetview.

[maelito]

Indeed. Google is a crawler, not only of the digital world.

"Crawling the physical web".

http://graphics.stanford.edu/projects/cityblock/