Well, if you see a car with a camera on the roof these days, don't be surprised – Google Street View is returning to Bulgarian soil. But what exactly will they be doing?
The tour begins
From March 5th to the end of October, these special cars will cross over 20,000 kilometers in Bulgaria. The goal? To refresh the images in Google Maps. But why is this update needed? Well, to reflect the changes on the local streets and roads, as well as to show current views of the sights.
Interesting, isn't it? Because construction here does not stop. New buildings, road repairs... All this requires constant updating of the maps. This way, users can easily orient themselves, plan their routes and see what places look like. And who doesn't like to look around before going somewhere?
Which cities will be filmed?
This year, over 30 settlements in Bulgaria are included in the tour. Among them are Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Haskovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Pazardzhik, Sandanski, Petrich, Samokov and Yambol. The list is quite diverse, covering both large cities and smaller settlements. It is important to note that in addition to the city streets, key roads connecting the cities will also be filmed.
What is Street View useful for?
Google Maps has over two billion active users monthly worldwide. And that's a pretty big number, isn't it? These maps contain information about over 250 million businesses and places. For local businesses this means better visibility. Easier to find shops, hotels and restaurants. Over 10 million websites and applications use the Google Maps Platform to reach over two billion of their customers. That's why Street View is not just a navigation tool.
In addition, Street View supports tourism, business and investments. It allows you to see a real picture of different regions in the country. Tourists can get acquainted with the places they plan to visit. And investors get a realistic idea of the environment in which they can invest.
How is the shooting happening?
Google Street View cars are equipped with special 360-degree cameras. They capture panoramic images of everything around. To protect the privacy of people who are in the frame, their faces and the license plates of the cars are automatically blurred. Google also provides an additional image blurring feature – people, cars, houses – if something is missed. Just press the "Report a problem" button in the lower right corner of the image.
What else to watch out for?
In addition to everything else, these cars will also provide information about changes in the urban environment – new buildings, road repairs, industrial zones, public spaces. All this will be reflected in Google Maps. In practice, with Google Street View, we get a clearer and more up-to-date picture of Bulgaria.
Expect Street View cars on Bulgarian roads soon. Interesting, isn't it? And what changes will we notice this time? What new things will we see on the maps?