Google is launching a new initiative to expand Google Maps’ Street View. The idea is to allow third parties to borrow the Street View Trekker and contribute 360-degree imagery to Google Maps.
The company’s first partner, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB), has already begun using the Trekker to take photos of the popular sites on the Hawaiian islands for future inclusion on Google Maps.
Among the locations that will be included in Google Maps are trails through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa Observatory, Onomea Bay, Akaka Falls, Waipio Valley, Pololu Valley and more. After that part is completed, the next step is to proceed to adjacent islands of Oahu, Maui and Kauai.
The service is open to tourism boards, NGOs, government agencies, universities, research organizations and other entities interested in borrowing a Street View Trekker to capture and share imagery from a place they know and care about. Those interested to apply can do that from here.