Home
News
You are here

Google's Ground Truth maps add 10 more countries, brag a Bulgarian highway nobody yet covers

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Dec 06, 2012, 3:55 AM

Android Apps

Add us as a preferred source on Google Search

Google's Ground Truth maps add 10 more countries, brag a Bulgarian highway nobody yet covers

Google just updated its European maps section heavily, loading a fresh batch of detailed data for more obscure countries, and improving on what it had for the big ones, including indoor navigation for Germany.

Part of the Ground Truth project, the mapping initiative started in 2008, and aims to give people the most detailed and up-to-date experience possible. Knowing how Google collects data, with a fleet of cars cruising your city's back alleys, this is not far from what Google actually delivers, but the search giant doesn't stop there.

It mixes the data collected by its mapping vehicles with satellite photos, data from local mapping authorities, and even user input, so its algorithms create what is perhaps the most timely and personal navigation of a place possible:

...roads and highways alone don’t define the character of a place, and they aren’t always sufficient to help you get around. So Google Maps also integrates 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.

Our new map of Spain, for example, not only shows the famous Museo del Prado and Parque del Retiro in Madrid, but also includes additional building models in surrounding neighborhoods, the well-known “Estanque” (or pond) in the center of the park, and detailed walking paths throughout both the park and the nearby Royal Botanical Gardens.

Spain, Andorra, Bulgaria, Gibraltar, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Slovakia are the new countries added to the Ground Truth project, and Google even bragged in its blog post that it has added all the length of the brand new Trakiya highway section in Bulgaria, for instance, which is so fresh that it is not reflected yet by other services.

source: GoogleBlog

$90

$210

$120 off (57%)

Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.

Buy at Mint Mobile

View Full Bio

Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.