Canyone who has a smartphone, among the many tasks entrusted to it, will also be familiar with the one that uses a blue arrow that moves on a two-dimensional map to indicate where to go. Google Maps has been a faithful companion for years nowbut as time has passed, the technology that drives it has become a bit obsolete. For this reason, today, that world is about to change radically. The Mountain View giant, in fact, announced the biggest update of the last decadetransforming the application from a simple digital street directory to a personal assistant capable of “seeing” and “understanding” the world around us.
Google Maps, everything changes: a new window on the world
The most striking visual novelty it is undoubtedly immersive navigationnot only an aesthetic improvement, but a completely new way of perceiving the route. Thanks, in fact, to the intersection between satellite data and the millions of Street View images, the service that allows you to see the streets at ground level, the map becomes three-dimensional and incredibly detailed.
Navigate the streets in 3D
For those who drive, this means visualize buildings, intersections and even overpass details with unprecedented realism. Buildings can become semi-transparent to allow you to see what’s happening around the corner or which lane to take at a complex crossroads. Fundamental elements such as pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and stop signs are highlightedreducing the anxiety of being in an unfamiliar city. Let’s say that it is, to all intents and purposes, a digital preview of the real world that helps you make safer and quicker decisions.
The biggest update in ten years introduces three-dimensional maps and intelligent traffic management. (Getty Images)
The choice between time and well-being: Google Maps beyond the fastest route
But there is also something else: we are usually used to asking Google Maps for the quickest route, but speed is not always synonymous with serenity. The new update introduces much more “human” traffic management. Thanks to the analysis of over five million data points per second, the system will not only report an accident or traffic jam, but will offer textual explanations on alternative routes. The real revolution, however, lies in the type of advice: Maps, in fact, could suggest a road that takes three minutes longer than the main one, explaining however that it is much less busy. A new approach that puts the well-being of the driver at the center of the service.
Ask Maps arrives: AI at the service of desires
There the real “mind” behind this change is Geminithe latest generation artificial intelligence developed by Google. This technology debuts within the function called Ask MapsAsk Maps, turning the app into an intelligent interlocutor. You will no longer have to simply type “pizzeria”, but you will be able to converse with the device. You can ask complex questions, such as: «My friends join me after work, is there a cozy place with a table for four available for 7 pm?». The system, knowing the user’s tastes and analyzing over 300 million places and the reviews of half a billion people, will be able to propose the perfect solutionfiltering the results based on context and previously saved personal preferences.
An assistant to plan entire holidays
The integration of artificial intelligence is not just used to find a restaurant, but becomes a real travel consultant. Ask Maps can plan multi-day itineraries, suggesting panoramic stagesmonuments not to be missed and providing practical information such as the cost of tolls or the availability of parking. Before leaving, it will be possible to preview the entire tripobserving real images of the places you will visit. The system is even capable of predicting which car parks will be full, recommending nearby alternatives to avoid wandering around empty once you arrive at your destination.
Availability and future of navigation
While these innovations represent a leap into the future, it won’t be all at oncebut their diffusion will be gradual. Currently, Gemini AI-powered features are rolling out in the US and India, available for both Android and iOS systems. However, the rest of the graphic and navigation innovations will soon arrive globallyintegrating perfectly not only on smartphones, but also in on-board car systems such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which allow you to project the phone’s functions onto the dashboard screen. In short, the road is traced: Google Maps will no longer just tell us where to gobut it will help us decide how to best live our time on the move.