Google launches Indoor Live View at Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is the country’s biggest and busiest airport and it’s easy to get lost, but it’s now launched a new feature that’s been described as a “game-changer”.

There is nothing more annoying than being in desperate need of a coffee at the airport only to learn you’ve gone in the wrong direction and have to trek all the way back.

That, together with not knowing where the nearest bathroom or a specific retail store is located, will soon be a thing of the past after Sydney Airport partnered with Google to create an internal map called Indoor Live View.

It’s a first of its kind for an Australian airport and will help passengers navigate their way through Sydney Airport’s three terminals a lot easier.

Appearing on Google Maps, the new augmented reality feature provides arrows, directions and distance markers superimposed on the camera view to point people to where they want to go.

Google has launched Indoor Live View at Sydney Airport.

Google Maps engineering lead, Anthony Bertuca, told news.com.au it has been years in the making, with the team having first started collecting hours of indoor imagery last year.

“Airports are an exciting place but they can also be stressful, especially when you’re in a rush and juggling kids, like I am normally,” Mr Bertuca told news.com.au

“The new feature takes the stress out of trying to figure out how to get somewhere.”

Mr Bertuca’s team collected the indoor imagery during curfew hours across Sydney Airport’s T1 international and T2 and T3 domestic terminals, which together span more than 445,000m2.

The ‘game-changing’ feature means you won’t get lost as often as the new AR Google maps feature is designed to help you navigate your way through Sydney Airport easier.

He said capturing all the content was a mammoth task that included getting detailed imagery of close to 130 retail stores, over 70 food and beverage outlets, 62 gates and 55 bathrooms across the terminals.

“It has taken years putting it all together,” he said.

For example, if you need to find your gate. You select the ‘gates’ tab in the feature on Google Maps.

Arrows will then appear on your screen telling you which way to go.

“The way we approach product development is we build everything off reusable capabilities. “The tech that underpins this, we have been working on the past five years.”

Mr Bertuca, who branded it a “game-changer”, said the feature is powered by a technology called global localisation.

It’s the first of its kind for an Australian airport.

“[It] uses AI to scan tens of billions of indoor Street View images to understand your orientation and provide assistance in real time,” he explained.

“If you’re in a wheelchair, have a pram or a giant suitcase there is a setting that allows for wheel accessible routing.”

Sydney Airport senior manager of business systems, Belinda Scanlon, described it as a “win” for passengers, who will be the first in Australia to benefit from the “incredible” new AR tech from Google.

Other airports around the world that have Indoor Live View are Zurich and JFK in New York.

“Whether travellers are looking for their gate, a bathroom or even a place to grab a bite to eat, they now have the directions they need at their fingertips,” she said.

“This is an especially great tool for travellers facing language barriers and accessibility needs, as it will help them navigate the airport more independently.”

Travellers will need to be connected to the internet to use the feature but Sydney Airport has free Wifi.