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Tangential to the conversation. So theoretically, Google will be able to count the number of trees in a given city right?
Just a hunch: I suspect they're not auto-detecting the trees, but rather relying on (amazing) tools like http://www.urbanforestmap.org/
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't see any reason they couldn't do the same from the air. You can tell foliage with LIDAR, and I'd imagine you could get a pretty good approximation of trunk location pretty easily by looking at the foliage height.
Fair enough, but do they collect their own aerial data? I was under the impression it's all collected through by third parties. Also, do they use anything other than satellite imagery right now? Is LIDAR effective at that range?
Although, now that I've done more digging, it looks like they're using satellite imagery for at least some of this, along with LIDAR and infrared techniques: http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrust...
There is something about Google Earth that just doesn’t make it as fun to use as Maps. Maybe because Earth is a lot uglier than Maps? There are all those customization options but no sensible defaults and a very strange aesthetic, completely unlike what you see on the much more subtle and sophisticated Maps. Navigation also feels somewhat broken. I often manage to get lost in Earth, that doesn’t happen to me on Maps.…
The quality of google earth for linux is an embarrassment.
There is something about Google Earth that just doesn’t make it as fun to use as Maps. Maybe because Earth is a lot uglier than Maps? There are all those customization options but no sensible defaults and a very strange aesthetic, completely unlike what you see on the much more subtle and sophisticated Maps. Navigation also feels somewhat broken. I often manage to get lost in Earth, that doesn’t happen to me on Maps.…
You mean, for you.
On the contrary, I find Google Earth UI way better than maps. I have continuous zoom, continuous panning(you could use a joystick, multitouch or mouse wheel easily), huge screen(you could hide left tooltip menu with a simple key).
I just can't understand any of your comments, maybe you have a bad graphic card,I don't know but Earth is way way faster than maps and awesome.
Tangential to the conversation. So theoretically, Google will be able to count the number of trees in a given city right?
You could do it just taking infrared and ultraviolet photos, and comparing it with red, green and blue versions, leaves have their specific wavelength response, and some trees leave theirs on winter with specific yellows and browns. They could use it to segment for the tree specie.
Now for the three trunk position I suppose they will use their cars and bikes with LIDAR(very easy at ground level, think on a big kinect), or a very expensive plane with 3d recognition but this is problematic with trees that grow together and you don't know when one ends and the partner starts.
PS: I'm trying to detect trees position myself since a few years ago using aerial photography and ground cameras. I'm finishing a model of Casa de Campo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_de_Campo
I'd be surprised if they're not working with Rockstar Games to build Grand Theft Auto maps from Google maps data.