Google unveiled a new Street View camera aiming to make it a lot easier to take pictures of the world, particularly in remote spots, something that was impossible for the service launched in 2007.
The 15-pound modular camera can be customized with different sensors when needed. It can quickly be connected to the top of a car’s roof rack without needing the car to be customized, making it possible for many more vehicles to install.
Maria Biggs, who leads the team that designed and built the new camera, said her team was trying to make the camera so portable that it could be shipped on its own, as reported by CNN.
Biggs said that in order to shrink the camera’s electronics, her team designed power and processing boards smaller than the size of her hand. It can be powered by a car, or connected directly to a battery.
Google’s Street View cars have been building a visual map of much of the world, however the cameras tend to be bulky, heavy and require computing power that has to be added on inside Street View cars.
The new camera features white circle surrounding each of its large camera lenses, which look like big eyes.
