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> Google Street View contains images, not point clouds.

You are wrong[1]. Streetview vans have been outfitted with LIDAR for years and generate 3D models as they drive. Just because you do not see the point-cloud data in your browser doesn't mean Google doesn't have it.

1. http://google-street-view.com/about-google-street-view/

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You can see the basic shapes that the images get mapped to in the browser.

I'm sure someone built a hack that let you explore that directly.

http://callumprentice.github.io/apps/street_cloud/index.html

https://flowingdata.com/2014/03/26/reconstructing-google-str...

Neat! I stand corrected. I wonder if the map data they have all over the country/world/wherever is comparable to the cities they test their cars in. If so, that would be fantastic.

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