Skip to main content

Google updates Maps for 10 European countries as part of Ground Truth project

Google says it’s well on its way to “building a better map of Europe” with the rollout of new map data for 10 countries and regions in Europe, including Andorra, Bulgaria, Estonia, Gibraltar, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

The move extends the reach of the web giant’s Ground Truth initiative to more than 40 countries.

Recommended Videos

Ground Truth started in 2008 and is designed to add even greater detail to Google’s online maps. “Through this initiative, we acquire high-quality map data from around the world and then apply a mix of advanced algorithms, supplemental data (including satellite, aerial and Street View imagery), and human input to create a map that corresponds as closely as possible to the real-world facts that you’d find if you were to visit that location,” Google’s Brian McClendon explained in a blog post.

Take the new 43-mile section of Bulgaria’s Trakiya highway (pictured), for example. Look on many maps, Google says, and you’ll find no trace of this new stretch of road. Wednesday’s update, however, has added it to Maps.

But Ground Truth doesn’t only concentrate on roads and highways. It also works to integrate information such as “walking paths, ferry lines, building outlines, park boundaries, university campuses and more — providing a richer, more comprehensive and more realistic experience for locals, visitors and armchair travelers alike.”

To further improve its already impressive online maps, the company encourages users to report a problem if they stumble across an error or find something missing from a location. “We’ll make the appropriate changes to the map — often within just a few minutes or hours of reviewing and verifying your feedback,” McClendon promises.

In other Maps-related news this week, Google revealed it had recently launched indoor maps for locations in Germany. The service was introduced in the US just over a year ago, and in the UK in July, and includes detailed floor plans of locations such as shopping malls, museums and transportation hubs.

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Google starts showing virtual doctor options in Search and Maps
Google Logo

As part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some medical facilities are currently discouraging visits in person. But pandemic or no pandemic, many ailments won't simply disappear and so sometimes we need to get help.

In such a scenario, Google wants to assist. The web giant recently announced it will begin highlighting health facilities that offer consultations over a video connection, enabling you to avoid a potentially busy waiting room thereby reducing person-to-person contact.

Read more
Google Maps data shows whether people in your area are staying at home
Google Community Mobility Report

Google has published an early look at its COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, a set of reports for use by health officials showing the effect of the pandemic coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, on people's mobility. Google has used anonymized location data to track the degree to which people are complying with social distancing advice and staying home rather than attending public places like restaurants, parks, and transit stations. The reports also indicate how many people are still required to travel to work, as opposed to working from home.

"In Google Maps, we use aggregated, anonymized data showing how busy certain types of places are -- helping identify when a local business tends to be the most crowded," Jen Fitzpatrick, SVP of Geo and Karen DeSalvo, Chief Health Officer at Google Health, wrote in a blog post. "We have heard from public health officials that this same type of aggregated, anonymized data could be helpful as they make critical decisions to combat COVID-19."

Read more
Google Maps wants businesses to add coronavirus information
Google Logo

With cases of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, yet to peak in most countries, there’s likely to be plenty of disruption in the coming months as stores, restaurants, and other customer-facing businesses deal with staff shortages caused by illness, self-isolation, and the like.

With that in mind, Google is encouraging business owners to make sure they keep their “my business” listings for Maps and Search up to date should the virus impact their daily operations.

Read more