Abstract Manager

The City of Calgary is piloting a project to proactively update Google Street View, reduce the number of site visits, and utilize the video being collected for other projects.

Google Street View is a tool that City Engineers and technicians use for various purposes. However, Google Street View is not updated on a fixed schedule. For some local roads, the Street View is over ten years old, making it necessary for City staff to visit sites in person before making decisions. To solve this problem, a project has been initiated in Calgary. The project aims to record videos using 360-degree cameras for all the roads in the city and upload the video to Google Street View Studio. Google will then use their software to blank out all sensitive information (vehicle license plates or people’s faces) and publish the new Street View on Google Maps. This updated Street View will be available to everyone, including citizens. Having the most up-to-date Street View is very beneficial, as it can be used for pavement condition assessment, traffic signage inspection, and streetlight inspection. This is a pilot project that aims to try out the technology.

In addition to this project, the City of Calgary is also developing Artificial Intelligence tools to utilize the high-definition videos for pavement condition assessment and other projects. This will significantly reduce data collection costs and improve efficiency. The videos can also be used for signage inspection and more.