Ever since Google Earth was first released, people have been asking how they can access the “live” version. My standard answer is that it’s 10-20 years away, and that’s still likely the case.
However, a company called UrtheCast is trying to make it a bit more of a reality. They’ll be mounting two cameras on the International Space Station that will stream live content for people to view.
Of course, they’ll only be capturing a very small area of earth at any given time, so it’s certainly quite a long way from being “Google Earth live”, but it’s interesting nonetheless. That said, there are a few other problems to consider that they’ve hopefully researched.
The biggest problem is that you can’t just point the camera on a particular location and expect to get a good shot. Problems with that are not limited to:
1) For any particular orbit, you may not be able to view the desired location (too far over the horizon, too much of an angle). You might a have to wait dozens of orbits to get over that spot.
2) Daylight – you have to be over the location at the right time of day.
3) Weather – too many variables to count a) clouds b) haze c) pollution.
4) time of year can be a factor – sun angle too low, and weather.
5) Conflicting opportunities. How do you decide which place to have your camera aimed at when there are 100 different places to aim and you’re moving at 17,500 mph?
This leads back to the main article we wrote on how Google Earth imagery is processed. Even for static imagery it’s quite a long process. To properly put live video into Google Earth would be amazingly difficult. As far as I know, UrtheCast has no plans to integrate their data with Google Earth, but there’s still quite a lot to consider.
All of that said, this looks like a pretty neat project!
(via +Google Creative Sandbox)
About Mickey Mellen
Mickey has been using Google Earth since it was released in 2005, and has created a variety of geo-related sites including Google Earth Hacks. He runs a web design firm in Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife and two kids.
I would already be happy if all Google Earth imagery is renewed at least once a year.
Now that is awesome. I have always wanted a civilian satellite-cam or UAV network that would let me look down at my phone at a live aerial feed, and zoom in to the top of my head, so I can see myself using my phone to see myself!
The technology has been there for years. It’s called a “webcam” …
Let me guess, it’s going live on April 1st?
Video quality is 3.5 FPS with 1 meter ground resolution of a 40km swath of land… this is not your grandmother’s webcam.
can one see the actual condition of land as it was 6 month back, before construction of a building there.
can i zoom that image more than 20X, which normally zoomed in google earth satellite imagery.
Even with UrtheCast’s apparent limitations we think this is a game changer for how people view earth and how we interact with it and each other. The educational and enviromental possibilities are endless much less the social impact. Imagine live video of Arab Spring while being able to simultaneously follow twitter feeds and video of people on the ground and being able to have that as a historical archive?
Thanks for your interest and the conversation,
Cameron Chell, CoFounder UrtheCast
I am fade off of watching same old map, I want new not 2-3 years old map…….
If google earth live works aim the cameras to boulder highway and Gibson Henderson nv to find a teenager who was washed away in the flood channel during a flash flood. Teams will be back out tomorrow to continue search.
I’ll be preparing my case against google because they reveal my position on earth when I didn’t gave them permission. How bad the quality of the pictures are, this is not done in any case. This is 1984 (George Orwell) all the way… This is just the first step. When people are comfortable with it they take it to the next step… Somebody has to stop this.
@Tim, That is impossible!
nothing wrong with this happening i think it could be a great way to preventing crime and catching people more easily and it would be great for traffic and accident updates not to mention the impact of technology why people moan about sewing them for not giving permission for google to view you then your talking bollocks whats the harm in people seeing you round unless you really have something to hide, people might thinks its just a way for people to keep an eye on you but whats to say there watching every step you take through the day and if something happened to you wouldnt you wanna see why well then you would be able to i think thats this is a great step and i totally agree with this happening