Have you guys ever seen the Google Street View car before? Tell your story here.
I saw the GSV car earlier on 101 south of the Sanborn exit. I couldn't believe that our car was gonna be on Google Maps! Speaking of which, how long does it take to get the image up on Google Maps?
I have a picture on my phone, but I don't have a data plan to upload it. My best friend actually spotted it.
Quote from: kphoger on May 01, 2012, 10:24:17 PM
I have a picture on my phone, but I don't have a data plan to upload it. My best friend actually spotted it.
Can't you put it onto your memory card, then take it off via your computer to upload?
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on May 01, 2012, 10:30:00 PM
Quote from: kphoger on May 01, 2012, 10:24:17 PM
I have a picture on my phone, but I don't have a data plan to upload it. My best friend actually spotted it.
Can't you put it onto your memory card, then take it off via your computer to upload?
I could pretend I'm technologically knowledgeable enough to do that, yes.
Ive seen several around my area. One of which you can actually see my car for about 3 spaces right near me driving near it. I cant see myself though... but its me! I have a slightly uncommon car. I also saw it drive by when it redid my neighborhood a few months ago
Saw one driving down a major road near my house a few weeks back. Though when I went to check StreetView for that street later on, I saw that the imagery was already updated with their clearer version, a while back ago. So I think that the vehicle was just passing through (from one subdivision to another perhaps) and not taking pictures.
Edit: Oh, thought this was about odd GSV sightings of cars...oops.
The Laguna Seca racing circuit allowed the GSV vehicle to film during some sort of ALMS (American Le Mans Series) racing event, so there's racing cars in the pit lane.
I'm on my phone, so I can't link it right now, but if you search for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, you'll figure it out...although it's not a public road, it's a nice Easter Egg.
the only time I've seen the GSVmobile was in a mall near my work. I don't think it caught my car as I was parked fairly far from it.
Back around June of last year, one was parked nearly every night at our apartment complex for a couple weeks. Got a couple photos with my phone when it was there during the day:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhotimg23.fotki.com%2Fa%2F50_50%2F182_6%2FIMAG0046.jpg&hash=6890cc7819c177084e323b87a13905090fd2cca6)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhotimg23.fotki.com%2Fa%2F50_50%2F182_6%2FIMAG0048404.jpg&hash=21a98ee6751411984514ff2dcbcf892eeeed5deb)
Crossed one on the Mercier Bridge in August, while half of the bridge was closed. Not the best timing for them.
Saw two back in August heading westbound on I-80 near Geneso, IL, as I was heading eastbound. Then I saw one a week ago turn left (south to east) from Kirk Road to Butterfield Road (IL-56) in Aurora as I was heading north, stopped at the signal on Kirk Road.
Quote from: kphoger on May 02, 2012, 09:24:51 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on May 01, 2012, 10:30:00 PM
Quote from: kphoger on May 01, 2012, 10:24:17 PM
I have a picture on my phone, but I don't have a data plan to upload it. My best friend actually spotted it.
Can't you put it onto your memory card, then take it off via your computer to upload?
I could pretend I'm technologically knowledgeable enough to do that, yes.
You can text it to your email. Set up a MMS message like you were going to send the picture to your friend, but instead of a phone number type in your email address.
I know this works with AT&T; I assume other carriers offer the same service.
Or if necessary, text it to me and I'll email it back to you. Texting (and MMSing) works off the text-voice plan and not data, at least for AT&T.
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 03, 2012, 12:23:16 AM
Quote from: kphoger on May 02, 2012, 09:24:51 AM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on May 01, 2012, 10:30:00 PM
Quote from: kphoger on May 01, 2012, 10:24:17 PM
I have a picture on my phone, but I don't have a data plan to upload it. My best friend actually spotted it.
Can't you put it onto your memory card, then take it off via your computer to upload?
I could pretend I'm technologically knowledgeable enough to do that, yes.
You can text it to your email. Set up a MMS message like you were going to send the picture to your friend, but instead of a phone number type in your email address.
I know this works with AT&T; I assume other carriers offer the same service.
Nope, it's not in my inbox. Verizon wireless.
Edit:: OK, I just didn't wait long enough.....
Wichita, KS:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1092.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi410%2Fkphoger%2FGMSV.jpg&hash=e0bbe9e0fb60b022709aa6c20689c36d21f6b112)
Subaru Imprezas...always imagined they drove around in SUVs.
Quote from: formulanone on May 03, 2012, 03:11:46 PM
Subaru Imprezas...always imagined they drove around in SUVs.
another sighting showed a Ford. I'll bet they buy whatever makes the most sense at the time. probably some 4x4s for the gnarlier roads.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1209.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc395%2FBrian5561%2F8110cc009.jpg&hash=26eed1af7d02f33860c5e34935280cc092941056)
I snapped this pic in 2010 in Lewisville, Tx, thinkin' it was one. Don't know if it was or not.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 03, 2012, 05:21:34 PM
another sighting showed a Ford. I'll bet they buy whatever makes the most sense at the time. probably some 4x4s for the gnarlier roads.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fchzmemebase.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F02%2Finternet-memes-streetviewception1.png&hash=061e74993103f69d12e2060e7319b400f299182d)
This one shows a (Chevy) Cobalt.
On Street View.
Here's a Google Maps Street View shot of the Google Maps Street View car.....go figure.
http://goo.gl/maps/kTHl (http://goo.gl/maps/kTHl)
The street views where they're passing in front of a big store window and you see the reflection of the vehicle is kind of cool too.
Quote from: CentralCAroadgeek on May 01, 2012, 10:22:45 PM
Have you guys ever seen the Google Street View car before? Tell your story here.
I saw the GSV car earlier on 101 south of the Sanborn exit. I couldn't believe that our car was gonna be on Google Maps! Speaking of which, how long does it take to get the image up on Google Maps?
I saw the GSV car 2x in Jacksonville, Florida over 2 years ago. When the original GSV came out my wife and kids were on the view of our house getting into the car. I think the view has since been updated
I saw the GSV car last Friday. He was heading east on Mulberry Street in Ft Collins, I was heading west. I waved for the heck of it. :P
I saw one in the Route 148 / Boulevard Saint-Joseph roundabout in Hull, QC a few weeks ago. The GSV car was going through, westbound, and I was waiting on St-Joseph SB. I made a peace sign.
GSV car on I-80 near Wendover, Nevada (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=wendover+nv&hl=en&ll=40.758668,-114.122157&spn=0.017586,0.027423&sll=40.758214,-114.121591&sspn=0.017716,0.027423&t=h&gl=us&hnear=Wendover,+Tooele,+Utah&z=15&layer=c&cbll=40.758896,-114.122464&panoid=VmhoLRfoEHmofdEOpXwvGA&cbp=12,321.27,,0,3.59)?
http://goo.gl/maps/mA2S
I was driving on I-675 SB near Dayton earlier this year in a company van and saw a GSV car. It was dusk, though, so I don't think they were collecting imagery at the time.
I saw one working here in Appleton on Wednesday (2012-09-05). I was stopped first in line at a red light on WB Calumet St at Memorial Dr (WI 47) on the city's south side and it turned from SB Memorial Dr onto westbound Grove St.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=44.243155,-88.415651&spn=0.008824,0.013797&t=h&z=16
Apparently, it (or perhaps even two of them) was working in the area all week.
I suppose that we were due for another visit from them - existing Streetview imagery from the Appleton area is low-res and was shot in 2007.
Mike
A Redditor spotted one on the Garden State Parkway/Driscoll Bridge recently: http://imgur.com/a/kmYQw
I've seen it three different times around Bend. One South of Bend on US 97 (we were going SB, I think the GSV car was going NB). Once parked along the river at Farewell Bend Park, and once in the parking lot of Ray's Food Place (got a pic of this one):
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FsZRhX.jpg&hash=89f63baed6f5b2e2f94604c192e4dadd9e8e0e92)
The different sightings were multiple weeks apart too, weird, but all in the span of like 3-4 months.
^^
This is a bit of a tangent here, but as part of my ongoing historic routing research work with the Yellowstone Trail guys, I frequently refer to early 20th century touring guides called 'Automobile Blue Books', which were published in several volumes on an annual basis from the early 1900s into the mid-1920s, for critical information on where roads went at the time of the Auto Trails. Each volume covered a section of the USA (the number of volumes and their coverage varied from year to year), 800-1000 pages each, with lists upon lists upon lists of turn-by-turn directions for driving from city to city at that time. This was at a time when many rural roads were primitive tracks at best, nearly all intercity travel was by rail and automobiles were essentially rich mans' toys used mainly for 'hobby' touring. When new, these guides retailed for either $2 or $3 each - serious money at that time, equal to about $150-250 each today.
Many of those Blue Books have a page or two where they show a photo of a part of their fleet of data-gathering cars along with a description of what they did while on the road. Except for the obvious differences in technology and only a very slightly changed mission, what those modern-day Google Streetview camera cars are out doing today is exactly the same as what those Blue Book cars and their crews were out doing a century ago.
Amazing, at least to me.
:nod:
Mike
I actually myself got caught on GSV on the way home from school:
http://goo.gl/maps/h7pyl (http://goo.gl/maps/h7pyl) :-D :-D :-D
When they did the Google Street View of the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon Territory, they took two vehicles, so you can almost always see the second vehicle in most of the shots.
They both appear to be vehicles that one would think would be unable to make the Dempster Highway to Inuvik -- small foreign imports.
BTW, When you get to the end of the road in the Northwest Territories, you will see a dumpy cabin. Does anyone know why they would build a road to that place?
If you search in far northern Mountain View, California [Google's headquarters], you can occasionally see parts of the bicycle they used to get the street view of the trails bordering San Francisco Bay.
When they came down our cul-de-sac, they shot my son on the front porch. He came in to tell me, but I didn't get outside in time to see it.
Quote from: ljwestmcsd on October 14, 2012, 10:55:09 AM
When they did the Google Street View of the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon Territory, they took two vehicles, so you can almost always see the second vehicle in most of the shots.
On Ontario 17, I found in several places that they had 3 cars in a draft together. Sometimes the pictures would be from the 1st car, then the 2nd, and sometimes the 3rd along that route.
Quote from: ljwestmcsd on October 14, 2012, 10:55:09 AM
When they did the Google Street View of the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon Territory, they took two vehicles, so you can almost always see the second vehicle in most of the shots.
They both appear to be vehicles that one would think would be unable to make the Dempster Highway to Inuvik -- small foreign imports.
BTW, When you get to the end of the road in the Northwest Territories, you will see a dumpy cabin. Does anyone know why they would build a road to that place?
Navy Road (which I would not count as part of the Dempster, but never mind) continues north of Inuvik to a lake, where locals might go fishing and hunting, and also some of the local First Nations population might live up there. It also connects to the planned extension of NT 8 to Tuktoyaktuk. That extension will replace a winter ice road (one of the roads featured in "Ice Road Truckers") with an all-season road to the Arctic coast.
While I would not be comfortable driving a low-clearance vehicle on the Dempster (enough potholes to make high clearance useful), it can be done, especially in a convoy like the GSV cars were in so you'll have help at hand if one car breaks down. On Alaska's Dalton Highway (almost as rough as the Dempster), I saw a classic 1959 Ford Galaxie that made it, intact, at least to Coldfoot at milemarker 175. I saw quite a few bicyclists on both highways, too.
I've seen multiple GSV car convoys along TCH 1 east of Winnipeg. I assume it's the same crew that did Highway 17 in Ontario.
Detroit.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.gawkerassets.com%2Fimg%2F17zm91pfzn53yjpg%2Fxlarge.jpg&hash=1a6d62c7681c21617ca56f56c1a42d4067452e49)
Found something interesting on the Dempster Hwy in NWT: http://goo.gl/maps/Inwxf
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on October 21, 2012, 03:04:26 PM
Found something interesting on the Dempster Hwy in NWT: http://goo.gl/maps/Inwxf
Cleaning off the lenses. If you look backwards, you can see the 2nd car's driver also doing this.
Yeah, it's obvious that's what they're doing. I just thought it was interesting that they got it on camera rather than stopping to do it.
Probably to keep the imagery continuous. They only use certain frames anyways (which is too bad... it would be really cool to be able to play back the original video).
I don't think they're taking video. I think it's a series of stills taken at regular distance intervals as the vehicle moves.
Quote from: national highway 1 on October 14, 2012, 06:40:47 AM
I actually myself got caught on GSV on the way home from school:
http://goo.gl/maps/h7pyl (http://goo.gl/maps/h7pyl) :-D :-D :-D
You don't look a day over 14 years, 364 days.
Quote from: Road Hog on October 22, 2012, 09:43:24 PM
Quote from: national highway 1 on October 14, 2012, 06:40:47 AM
I actually myself got caught on GSV on the way home from school:
http://goo.gl/maps/h7pyl (http://goo.gl/maps/h7pyl) :-D :-D :-D
You don't look a day over 14 years, 364 days.
Is he wearing a skirt?
My friend spotted the car coming down his street in Louisiana a few years ago, and the camera caught him waving at the driver, as he was doing some yard work.
Quote from: Special K on October 22, 2012, 03:09:57 PMI don't think they're taking video. I think it's a series of stills taken at regular distance intervals as the vehicle moves.
Indeed, they take stills at a rate of one per 5 metres, I think.
Funny that this topic came up, because a friend of mine in CT saw the car go by her house just this morning. She tried to take a pic of it, but only caught the very edge of it.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on October 25, 2012, 01:24:32 PM
Quote from: Special K on October 22, 2012, 03:09:57 PMI don't think they're taking video. I think it's a series of stills taken at regular distance intervals as the vehicle moves.
Indeed, they take stills at a rate of one per 5 metres, I think.
I wish they'd cut the interval at least in half. It's maddening to approach a road sign, be too far away to read it, go to the next frame and be behind the sign. The image resolution needs to be upgraded, too.
All these improvements are doable in the five or so years since GSV was rolled out.
And many were done, at least for the newer imagery. The newer stuff can always have the sign read, unless their automated face blurring gets the sign by accident. The interval is shorter too; many times it feels like you're on top of the sign but have to increment 10 more times before getting to it.
It's a shame they can't be bothered to get the newer imagery out for much of the US. Unless you're CA, NYC, or a major interstate in a big metro area, you don't have it, even if street view cars are driving through your area to get somewhere else. The old imagery is so bad that it should be deleted immediately.
Quote from: deanej on November 03, 2012, 12:41:03 PM
It's a shame they can't be bothered to get the newer imagery out for much of the US. Unless you're CA, NYC, or a major interstate in a big metro area, you don't have it, even if street view cars are driving through your area to get somewhere else. The old imagery is so bad that it should be deleted immediately.
In doing research for my mapping projects I've found that actually many random places have gotten HD streetview imagery. Most city streets in most major cities have it, and not just the main roads. Plus lately many rural highways have gotten it. I've even found it on gravel FM roads out in rural Texas.
Also, virtually everywhere they've done the past few years has it, so this includes everything taken on the tricycle and on foot, along with almost all of Canada, as well as random areas they've revisited.
In some areas the resolution has been upgraded. It's just that the cars haven't been sent through many areas to update to the new resolution yet.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on November 04, 2012, 02:17:24 PM
Quote from: deanej on November 03, 2012, 12:41:03 PM
It's a shame they can't be bothered to get the newer imagery out for much of the US. Unless you're CA, NYC, or a major interstate in a big metro area, you don't have it, even if street view cars are driving through your area to get somewhere else. The old imagery is so bad that it should be deleted immediately.
In doing research for my mapping projects I've found that actually many random places have gotten HD streetview imagery. Most city streets in most major cities have it, and not just the main roads. Plus lately many rural highways have gotten it. I've even found it on gravel FM roads out in rural Texas.
Also, virtually everywhere they've done the past few years has it, so this includes everything taken on the tricycle and on foot, along with almost all of Canada, as well as random areas they've revisited.
With the exception of some walkways Clarkson had the street view people go over, there is not a single location in NYSDOT region 7 with the HD imagery. Stuff in western NY is limited to interstates and downtown areas. It seems that they don't like upstate NY, because we seem to have less HD imagery than any other part of the country.
Quote from: deanej on November 08, 2012, 12:43:48 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on November 04, 2012, 02:17:24 PM
Quote from: deanej on November 03, 2012, 12:41:03 PM
It's a shame they can't be bothered to get the newer imagery out for much of the US. Unless you're CA, NYC, or a major interstate in a big metro area, you don't have it, even if street view cars are driving through your area to get somewhere else. The old imagery is so bad that it should be deleted immediately.
In doing research for my mapping projects I've found that actually many random places have gotten HD streetview imagery. Most city streets in most major cities have it, and not just the main roads. Plus lately many rural highways have gotten it. I've even found it on gravel FM roads out in rural Texas.
Also, virtually everywhere they've done the past few years has it, so this includes everything taken on the tricycle and on foot, along with almost all of Canada, as well as random areas they've revisited.
With the exception of some walkways Clarkson had the street view people go over, there is not a single location in NYSDOT region 7 with the HD imagery. Stuff in western NY is limited to interstates and downtown areas. It seems that they don't like upstate NY, because we seem to have less HD imagery than any other part of the country.
And how many people live in that part of NY? Not very many.
I know it may personally offend you that they are a company doing this to make money, but it makes much more business sense to give priority to dense urban areas with lots of people over sparsely populated rural areas, since I'm sure a far greater number of people are looking at streetview in a city than in a rural area.
Roadgeeks are different, but the majority of the population only really cares about streetviewing freeways and downtowns.
We have no less than three cities up here, and even the suburbs further south don't have great imagery. I find I use it in rural areas most often. At least in urban areas you can count on signage to a certain degree, at least for street names (not so much route numbers). In rural areas, signage for local roads can be sparse to non-existent. I've also manged to get lost in Pittsburgh every time I drive there because their signage is so bad but street view doesn't have good imagery. Quite frankly, I avoid downtowns. Too busy and you have to pay to park everywhere. Thus, having street view in downtowns does not help me.
Downtowns being busy being precisely why Google is serving them...