Google Maps for mobile adds indoor floor plans

Google Maps 6.0 for Android has a new feature: indoor floor plans. They go beyond static you-are-here directories and let you orient yourself within large buildings and map a route to your chosen destination.

Still in beta, the indoor floor plans also locate possible points of interest, like public restrooms, specific shops, and ATMs, throughout a location such as an airport or shopping mall. And the indoor-map function can switch between levels of a building if their are multiple floors.

Currently, Google Maps has partnered with about 25 businesses and public service structures, including the San Francisco International Airport and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, as well as retailers including Ikea, Macy's, and Bloomingdale's. According to Wired magazine, Google has also launched a tool for businesses that want to upload their floor plans to the Maps database.

Similar to what Google Maps does for street views, the indoor maps rely on cell towers, GPS, and publicly broadcasted Wi-Fi signals in order to plot your location. In an interview with Wired, Maps project manager Steve Lee said, "We used similar information to how we've implemented the navigation ‘blue dot' feature in the past, and we've been able to improve the accuracy indoors, at an accuracy of about 5 to 10 meters."

The indoor-map feature now appears in Google Maps on Android devices and is available in the Android Market for phones and tablets running Android version 2.1 and up.

Googpe Maps for mobile [Google]
New Version of Google Maps Brings Indoor Floor Plans to Your Phone [Wired]

—Maggie Shader