In good news for commuters in Bengaluru and several other major cities, Google India is introducing a new routing feature tailored for four-wheeler users aimed at avoiding narrow lanes during driving trips. This initiative follows Google's successful enhancement of maps-based navigation for two-wheeler users, optimizing routes for motorcyclists seeking efficient paths, The Hindu reported.
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Lalitha Ramani, GM, Google Maps, India spoke to reporters and said, “AI is good at addressing these problems to a large extent. So, we’ve now built a new AI model, specifically for Indian roads that estimates road widths. It takes satellite imagery and combines it with street view imagery. And, also take inputs on road type, tree cover, and poles and drains.”
Implementing this feature posed challenges, particularly in accurately assessing road widths amidst diverse obstacles such as tree cover and parked vehicles along narrow streets across India's extensive network of roads and avenues. Leveraging AI routing models, Google has developed algorithms to steer car users away from narrow roads wherever feasible, ensuring minimal impact on estimated time of arrival (ETA) for suggested routes, the report noted.
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{{/usCountry}}“Reducing cars on these narrow stretches can make bikers and pedestrians to use these roads more safely,” Ramani added.
For instances where navigating through a narrow street is inevitable or the destination is located on one, Google Maps will provide explicit alerts highlighting these narrow sections to users.
Given the subjective nature of what qualifies as a narrow road varies across different cities, Google continues to gather feedback on street details to refine its AI routing model, the company stated.
Initially launching in eight cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and others, this feature aims to enhance driving experiences in urban areas. Additionally, Google plans to introduce a flyover guidance feature across 40 cities in India, offering users alerts about flyovers along their route, with future plans to extend compatibility beyond Android devices.