The Mid Wales town of Rhayader, LD6 is preparing to become a ‘Google Town’ with the training of volunteers due to start on Monday next week.
The town has successfully applied to take part in the Google Street View loan camera programme. Google is loaning a specialist 360 degree camera for six weeks from the beginning of May.
A training day for the volunteers is being held at the Elan Valley Lodge on Monday.
Google is well known for its Street View imagery embedded into Google maps across the world, photographed by its specially equipped camera cars. Less well known is its camera loan programme, which is available to third parties for capturing their local communities both inside local businesses, along footpaths, trails and any interesting places accessible on foot.
The vision for this community-based project is to “virtually” put Rhayader on the map (Google Maps) as a “Google Town”. A full virtual tour of Rhayader and everything it has to offer will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week from anywhere in the world via the Internet.
The aim of the project is to encourage and attract more visitors to Rhayader by showing Street View imagery of all the different businesses, attractions and activities the town has to offer.
From the comfort of their home, visitors will be able to “walk” through the front door of the various businesses, organisations and facilities along with walking scenic countryside paths and trails in and around the town and have a virtual look around.
The town has formed a small “Google Town” committee with the full backing and some financial support from the town council and Rhayader 2000, the town’s marketing organisation.
The whole project will be completed by local volunteers who between them will film as many locations as possible, create and then publish the 360 degree virtual tours onto Google maps. All imagery will comply with Google’s privacy policy.
