Google Capturing Local Sights For Online Viewing
If you’ve seen an odd contraption carried along greenways and trails in the Knoxville area in the last few weeks, you might have guessed that some new Google technology was in town.
You would be right – the green backpack-mounted orb is a Google Trekker camera that records ground views of local attractions. What you may not have known is who brought the Google Trekker camera to our area.
Google has been photographing street-level views of communities across the country for several years with car-mounted cameras. But many of the nation’s most scenic places are not accessible by car – to capture that imagery, Google has been testing its human-powered Trekker equipment. Last summer, MPC learned of new loan program for the Trekker gear. In this pilot effort, Trekker cameras are lent to qualified tourism boards, government agencies, nonprofits, and other groups with knowledge of interesting places with 360 degree, panoramic views. MPC applied to participate in the program to capture Knoxville area resources and was selected.
Beginning in mid-September and wrapping up later this week, the MPC-coordinated effort included two dozen volunteers who strapped on the 43-pound backpack equipped with 15 cameras, and trekked across the Knoxville area. “We’ve seen stories about the trekker cameras deployed to the ends of the earth, and we have a really unique opportunity to showcase local places like the Urban Wilderness and our greenways, community assets that are accessible from our own backdoor,” said Tim Kuhn, GIS Manager with the Metropolitan Planning Commission.
Kuhn is leading a team from MPC, City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation, Knox County Parks and Recreation, the Town of Farragut, Visit Knoxville, Legacy Parks, Appalachian Mountain Bike Club that will bring local trails, parks, and scenic destinations to Google Maps Street View.
With growing recognition that greenways and trail systems are an important contributor to the quality of life we enjoy in this region, the Google Trekker program is a great opportunity to share our successes with people across the country and the world.
“Our team is excited to work with one of the leading technology companies on the planet,“ Kuhn said.
“Obviously, local exposure on Google Maps is huge. We have the potential to reach millions of viewers every day."
We can’t reveal the exact locations that have been captured by our Google trekkers until the official unveiling next spring, but we can give you an idea of what to expect. The Street View below is from the California State Parks system, and we’re sure that our East Tennessee imagery will be even more beautiful.
