Now Available Via Google Maps: The Entire Grand Canyon

February 1, 2013 at 3:33 PM | by Omri | Comments (0)

We've long been worried about how the futuristic technology being built into Google Maps and Google Earth was pushing people to unironically say douchey things like 'now you can travel without leaving your house!' The problem isn't just that people are saying those things, though that's a problem too. It's that when you look at the direction technology is heading, those people might not be totally wrong.

Just to be clear, as travel junkies who like travel junkiism, we're not totally comfortable with the situation. But of course, we don't get a vote.

Instead the Associated Press notes that new panoramic photos of the Grand Canyon, which have been loaded into Google Maps, now allow people "to virtually hike the Grand Canyon." Google's official blog has even more information. On one hand, neat. On the other hand, that's not what "hiking" is! You can see how we'd be conflicted.

As with previous Google Maps panorama projects, such as the one involving our beloved San Diego Zoo and the other one from along the Amazon and Rio Negro Rivers, there's a story about the unique technology used to create the Grand Canyon pictures.

This time Google mounted a camera on backpacks and sent hikers along trails. The camera clicked images every 2.5 seconds, and done and done. There's a video on the setup embedded below. Not being satisfied with the Grand Canyon, Google is reportedly considering dispatching the technology to other national parks, to ruins, and to castles.

Because why should people have to leave the house just to see things that are outside their house? Right?

[Photo: Google Maps / YouTube]

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