Estimating the cost to replace lost Street View data for Google Maps in NY is complex and depends on several factors. A precise figure is impossible without more information, but we can break down the potential costs:
1. Data Acquisition:
- Vehicle and Equipment: Google would need to deploy specialized Street View cars equipped with cameras, GPS, and other sensors. The cost of purchasing, maintaining, and operating these vehicles is significant.
- Personnel: This includes drivers, data collectors, and engineers. Salaries, benefits, and training add to the expense.
- Mapping Technology: The cost of the cameras, lidar, and other imaging hardware, plus software for data processing and stitching.
2. Data Processing and Storage:
- Cloud Computing: Processing vast amounts of imagery, stitching panoramas, and integrating with existing map data requires substantial computing power, likely through cloud services.
- Storage: Storing the raw and processed imagery, as well as the final map data, incurs ongoing costs.
3. Quality Assurance and Moderation:
- Review and Verification: Ensuring the accuracy and quality of the new data requires human review and potentially automated checks.
- Privacy Redaction: Blurring faces and license plates is a crucial and labor-intensive step.
4. Operational Overhead:
- Project Management: Coordinating the entire operation.
- Permits and Logistics: Navigating city regulations, traffic, and planning routes.
Order of Magnitude Estimation:
Given that Google has invested billions in Street View globally over many years, replacing data for a major metropolitan area like New York City would likely cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. This is a rough estimate, as the exact cost would depend on the scale of the replacement (e.g., entire city vs. specific neighborhoods), the frequency of updates required, and the efficiency of Google's current technology and processes.
A social media challenge to crowdsource imagery might supplement data but wouldn't replace the need for professional, high-quality, and systematically collected Street View data. The cost of such a challenge would be minimal compared to the actual data acquisition and processing.
Google