Dreaming: Shazam for maps

[chumley]

As seems to happen once every few months, a friend will post a photo on some social media of the grand canyon as seen from their row 38 seat on some flight to SLC or the northwest.

Of course, I cancel meetings and postpone deadlines so that I can immediately identify the exact part of Grand Canyon in their photograph.

Yes, I'm a map nerd. :guilty:
(Previous evidence: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9244)

Got me to thinking ... this must already exist -- even if not publicly available -- but there must be a very simple way to upload that photo and have it automatically return the exact location based on the visible topography.

There are digital databases the topography of the entire world (some more detailed than others). HAZ uses one to sync the elevation profile on your hiking route.

Who wants to find that information and develop the app that identifies location based on topography in a photograph? Just like Shazam does for music!

Google's reverse image search is already quite good at identifying the subject or things in a photo, but not the actual location.

Big money opportunity here! Who's in?

[flagscott]

Google is one step ahead of you (and a million steps ahead of most of the rest of us): http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/25/11112 ... ion-planet It sounds like their algorithm isn't quite what you're looking for, but it's not far off.

Warning: do not click on the geoguessr link unless you enjoy having your time disappear down a black hole!

[SpiderLegs]

Wow, you are more of a map nerd than I am. My girlfriend was just flying earlier this week and snapped some pics of interesting items. So I was out looking for them based on how far away she was from the airport when she snapped them.

[chumley]

do not click on the geoguessr link

lol. I've spent many an hour on geoguessr before :whistle:

[JasonCleghorn]

do not click on the geoguessr link

lol. I've spent many an hour on geoguessr before :whistle:

Me three...