A Google employee on a camera-equipped tricycle recording images

[EnumaElish]

So, this is how Google obtains street-view images for its maps: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/05/28/technology/28google-inline1.html

(I've been wondering.)

Why bicycle, though? Wouldn't a motorcycle be faster?

 

[leroyjenkens]

They may do that on some small streets in France, but they're not riding up and down every road in America on that thing. Especially not the highways.

 

[mgb_phys]

It's to do pedestrianized areas (think Europe) and tourist spots (generally don't let people ride a Harley around the Lincoln memorial)

 

[EnumaElish]

The gears look ingenious -- they are in the middle of the frame, and there must be a transmission mechanism distributing the torque to the two rear wheels. I haven't seen anything like it.

 

[Kerrie]

I just want to know I can get THAT job!

 

[mgb_phys]

The gears look ingenious -- they are in the middle of the frame, and there must be a transmission mechanism distributing the torque to the two rear wheels. I haven't seen anything like it.

It's a regular mountain bike with the rear wheel removed from the spindle, then a single speed chain from the existing back wheel spindle to a sprocket on a fixed axle between the trailer wheels.
Presumably it's to give more space behind the rider for the camera than a regular trike.
But I don't know why they wouldn't just use a regular bike trailer.

I built a system once for ground radar that used a standard kiddie trailer stuffed with a couple of batteries and a laptop.

 

[leroyjenkens]

The gears look ingenious -- they are in the middle of the frame, and there must be a transmission mechanism distributing the torque to the two rear wheels. I haven't seen anything like it.

The bike runs on gasoline, the peddling powers the camera.

 

[elephunk]

Pretty cool. Looks weighty though.

The bike doesn't appear to run on gasoline. I can see a pulley in there I think.
Would love that job. People would notice you :)

 

[Chi Meson]

It's a regular mountain bike with the rear wheel removed from the spindle, then a single speed chain from the existing back wheel spindle to a sprocket on a fixed axle between the trailer wheels.

There is nothing behind the seat tube that is "regular" for a mountain bike. There are no chain-stays coming from the bottom bracket, just a single tube. Same for the seat-stays. And the angle made by would-be-seat-stays suggest a real wheel placement that would be more than a foot too far back.

This might be the geometry of a modified tandem MTB, but I'm pretty sure it is a geometry invented specifically for this purpose.

 

[EnumaElish]

Would love that job. People would notice you :)

"I can put you in a Google map" ;-)

 

[zomgwtf]

One time I saw a google car driving through my neighbourhood. It was pretty cool with this contraption on it's roof. When I told my friends about this they told me that I should have just kept walking beside it LOL that way I'd be everywhere on our block.

 

[magpies]

I can't wait till google starts with the live audio recordings from every street view thing. We can just have google cars on patrol of every town in america so we can stream the sounds of birds chirping from joe does house.

 

[mheslep]

I see a suite of SICK laser scanners below the optical cameras. I wonder what Google is doing with that range data. It is not made directly available on StreetView.

 

[magpies]

I'm going to start my own internet company so I can drive around town with cameras on my roof top. It'll be called Boogle and I'll just devote it to beer and women.

 

[mgb_phys]

There is nothing behind the seat tube that is "regular" for a mountain bike. .

That's true hadn't looked clearly.

I see a suite of SICK laser scanners below the optical cameras.

Some inside info, they didn't work as well as Google hoped.