Life without Google Maps would be unthinkable, especially for urban commuters and explorers. While the present-day navigation is all about suggesting the correct directions to follow, Google’s upcoming update to Maps will take the assistance to a step further – tell you which lane to choose while driving. This is particularly useful for those who struggle to memorise a route, ending up cause huge traffic snarls.
The feature, called Live Lane Guidance, is an advanced capability that leverages a vehicle’s integrated camera and sensor technology to offer real-time, highly granular driving instructions. The idea is to dramatically improve accuracy and reduce driver stress, particularly on high-traffic roads and complicated exits/junctions.
Google Maps to help with lane guidance
The new system goes far beyond traditional GPS directions, which primarily rely on map data. By incorporating AI to analyze live video feed from the car’s front-facing camera, Live Lane Guidance can determine the driver’s exact position within the road markings in real-time. This allows Google Maps to deliver precise, moment-to-moment directions on which lane to occupy for upcoming turns, highway merges, or off-ramps.
This kind of feature is a significant step towards merging software navigation with the onboard vehicle hardware, offering a truly integrated driving experience. The feature is designed to eliminate the anxiety and danger associated with last-minute lane changes by ensuring that drivers are in the correct position well in advance of their required maneuver.
However, the rollout is highly limited as far as vehicle models and markets are concerned. Google has confirmed that Live Lane Guidance will only be available in vehicles equipped with Google’s built-in operating system, Android Automotive, and the necessary camera hardware. It will not be available on the smartphone-based Google Maps app, considering the feature is designed to work with cars featuring an integrated front camera and accompanying sensors.
Which cars are getting Live Lane Guidance?
The Polestar 4 is slated to be the first vehicle to receive this update in the coming months, launching initially for users in the United States and Sweden. Google says that in the coming days, the Live Lane Guidance feature will be made available to other vehicle models equipped with Android Automotive OS and the ADAS hardware.
