08-27-2020, 08:17 AM
Does anyone know how Google Maps generates their 3D models? Plausibly I can think of a few options. Air photos, especially with precise positioning, can be used to determine 3D geometry. Stereoscopic techniques have been used to determine topography for a long time, but with better software, better imaging, and precise positioning information for the camera, I can imagine that software could produce very good models. That said, some of the models I've looked at have features that seem more detailed than I would intuitively believe they could get just from stereoscopy. I kind of wonder if the Streetsview cars (or maybe even the air photo aircraft) are outfitted with lidar. That could very plausibly get the finer detailing I've noticed in some of their models.