Parisians took notice of two odd looking tricycles that are meandering through gardens, historical sites and pedestrian only areas.  These odd tricycles are equipped with a long pole that holds nine cameras, a GPS, a generator and of course, a computer.  No need to be alarmed – it’s the Google Maps tricylce.

According to the article posted at MercuryNews.com – (read the full article here)

“The U.S. company has hired two young cyclists to ride through gardens, historical sites and other pedestrian-only areas on the device to take thousands of digital photos.”

“The idea is to be able to offer 360-degree images of places that were inaccessible before,” Google spokesperson Anne-Gabrielle Dauba-Pantanacce said in an interview.

“The riders, wearing Google tee-shirts and white helmets, are visiting well-known sites such as the Chateau de Versailles, west of Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg on the city’s Left Bank or Les Halles, in the busy center of the French capital.  Google is to map Paris until Aug. 20, then head to the north of the country. In the fall, the tricycle goes south, said Dauba-Pantanacce.”

This will be a great feature for travelers & vacation rental owners looking to the Furnished Homes vacation rental map to choose a vacation getaway.  As Google maps capabilities expand – The Furnishedhomes.com user experience will expand too.