Google Maps 6.0 is Taking You Inside (Malls, Airports, etc..)
Until now, online mapping services rely on your mobile GPS feature and maps provided by Satellite imaging. The navigation takes you fairly well and reliably from point A to point B. But most mapping services fall short when you are inside large facilities such shopping mall, airports, etc..
With the help of indoor mapping organizations at popular airports and shopping malls as well as business owners who whish to upload their own floor plan (a do-it-yourself site is available), Google is releasing its first app Google Maps 6.0 for Android supporting the new indoor functionality.The service is not yet available for other platforms nor desktop browsing. You can visit HERE for a demo on the Web.
"Detailed floor plans automatically appear when you’re viewing the map and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available, the familiar ‘blue dot’ icon indicates your location within several meters, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the interface will automatically update to display which floor you’re on."
Note that few similar services have been available for other platform such Micello for iOS and Bing maps supporting indoor mall mapping available for Windows Phone and Desktop.
Initial supported locations, including:
- Mall of America, IKEA, The Home Depot, select Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, Daimaru, Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi locations and more. Watch an IKEA demo here.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Narita International (NRT), among others.
- JR and Tokyu Corporation
For a detailed list of participating locations, please visit Google help center. If you’re a business owner interested in getting your location’s floor plan included in Google Maps, visit maps.google.com/floorplans.
[Source Google]
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