European community for mobility management

Bike-mounted cameras assist Google in collecting images for the rollout of street view maps in Croatia. For a few months this spring and summer, a fleet of camera-equipped tricycles has been canvassing the nooks and crannies of Croatia’s road network to collect images for the upcoming Croatian street view service of Google Maps.The multi-month project, which began in May, also involves cameras on cars, but for those narrow pedestrian paths, waterfront promenades and Medieval avenues inaccessible by car, the photo-snapping rickshaws have been indispensible.

Google hired temporary riders in Croatia for the work, posting help-wanted ads targeting candidates who were computer literate, conversant in English and in good enough physical condition to pedal tricycles 5-6 hours per day for the duration of the three to four-month project. The tricycles are carried in a van, which is also mounted with cameras and capable of shooting street panoramas. The tricycles are used as adjuncts that are deployed in adjacent byways where the vans can’t travel.

Google Street View is a feature of Google Maps that was launched three years ago. It gives 360-degree, street-level panoramas of selected places on the map. The service has extensive coverage of cities in the United States and more than 20 other countries. However, it has raised concerns about the personal privacy of the people caught on camera. Google has tried to allay such concerns in Croatia by promising that faces will be blurred out and that those who are photographed will have the opportunity to ensure their privacy is not violated.

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