Google to certify 360-degree cameras for Street View

Google to issue ‘Street View-ready’ certificates for 360-degree cameras. Cameras that meet Google’s requirements can easily be used to add images to Street View. According to Google, twenty such cameras will be released this year.

Google is introducing four Street View certificates for different types of cameras. The internet company ranks them in the categories mobile, car, VR and workflow. The former category includes 360-degree cameras that work in conjunction with smartphones and can capture and publish images from an app. The car certificate is for cameras that are suitable for making images from a moving vehicle. In order to get a VR certificate, the camera must also save geometry, in order to place the images in a VR environment. Finally, there is the workflow certificate, which is not intended for cameras, but, for example, for software that is included to put images on Street View.

Companies must submit their cameras to be eligible for a certificate. If they get that, they are allowed to put logo on their communication about the product or on the box. Google has published all the specifications that devices must meet to qualify for the certificates on its developer website. In its announcement, Google talks about twenty certified cameras that should be on the market this year. In an image, Google shows the brands involved, but specific models of cameras are not mentioned.