How do I get that job?
A recent feature on ZDNet Galleries is a collection of photos about one of the teams that operate a Tele Atlas mapping van. These high tech vehicles based on custom VW Crafter van cutaway chassis, roam Europe capturing images and data that will be featured in navigation systems by customers like Google, Mercedes Benz, Navman, Nokia, Tom Tom and Via Michelin.
According to the report:
The Tele Atlas vans have between six and eight cameras mounted on them to take images of the passing roads and landmarks. They take three shots per second which are then stored on hard drives located in the van.
The van co-driver views the live images on a tablet PC mounted on the dashboard to monitor the picture quality…
…The data feeds into two hard drives located on the van and is stored there until the operators are given the green light by the Tele Atlas head office to delete it.
In a single week, each van can generate up to 250GB of data. This is then sent to be processed in India by 700 Infotech digital cartographers.
As I sat in front of the computer this weekend planning our Montreal trip using Google Earth and Garmin MapSource, I reflected on how tools such as these have forever changed the way we travel. I can lookup all the places I want to visit on the Internet and create waypoints for them on the GPS so I know exactly where they are. With Google Earth I can even view a 3D representation of the major features around the area so I can visualize the route even before I get there.
Additionally, this is the first time we will be undertaking a long road trip with 100% mobile internet capability. My new Palm Treo 700p gives me connectivity not only through the phone’s own web browser but in my laptop by using the phone as a modem. The phone also features EV-DO capability is some areas that can provide near broadband speeds for data access.
The Treo also allows me to take Google Maps on the road by installing the Palm OS client. This program features the same functionality as the internet browser version of Google Maps but optimized for mobile platforms so the maps download faster. Though not as good as GPS-enabled handset, this is a great tool for orienting oneself when trying to find an address while exploring city centers on foot. In these circumstances, GPS receivers may be impractical since they must reacquire the satellite signal every time one emerges from a building or subway and may be obstructed by tall buildings.
Technologies such as these coupled with data collected from sources such as Tele Atlas mapping vans, are good news for travelers. Now, if I could only get a gig as a driver of one those vans…
[...] sooner had I posted the story about mapping vans in Europe than I discovered that Google maps is already incorporating street level photographic [...]
June 5th, 2007 at 7:07 pm