Camera on a zipline in the Amazon Rainforest. Photo via google-latlong.blogspot.ie
The Amazon rainforest is being captured and added to Google Maps’ Street View collection, thanks to the use of zip lines.
As reported by the BBC, the internet search giant suspended its cameras on the zip wire from the treetops to the ground, sending the hardware flying at speeds of up to 100 km/h to capture new images for its web-mapping application.
This project is a collaborative effort with the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), which first linked up with Google three years ago.
“Their hope is that sharing the imagery of their local communities, rain forests and rivers with the world will raise awareness and support for their efforts to conserve these areas,” wrote in a blog post.
A number of photographs captured by the cameras and a short YouTube clip of the zip wires in action have also been released.
