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by ibgames

EARTHDATE: July 31, 2016

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REAL LIFE NEWS: REMOTE ISLANDS USE SHEEP FOR GOOGLE IMAGES

by Hazed

The Faroe Islands, a remote windswept archipelago of 18 sparsely populated volcanic islands, are situated between Iceland, Norway and Scotland. In a bid to boost tourism, the island group wants to get images of its landscape into Google Street View. In order to do that they are using sheep.

The documentarian sheep have been fitted with 360-degree cameras mounted on their backs. The resulting images are then uploaded to Google Street View, allowing anybody worldwide to experience the beautiful scenery.

The project was the brainchild of the Faroese tourism bureau, Visit Faroe Islands. In a press release, Durita Dahl Andreassen explains: “If Google Street View will not come to the Faroe Islands, I will make The Faroe Islands visible to the world in another way.”

In the Sheep View 360 project, Andreassen has outfitted five of her own sheep with the solar-powered cameras. As the beasts roam the verdant hillsides, the cameras capture the landscape. The equipment was developed in conjunction with a local farmer and an “inventor specialised in animal monitoring.”

So far the sheep have been in action on two of the islands: Streymoy, which is the country’s largest and most populous, and the next door island of Vagar.

The ultimate aim is to attract the attention of Google to send one of their cars to the islands to do a proper mapping job. Andreassen explains, “The Faroe Islands have some of the most beautiful roads in the world. It is impossible to describe what it feels like driving through the green valleys and up the mountains, or alongside the ocean, surrounded by steep drops and tall cliffs. It’s an experience like no other.”

This project has certainly brought the islands to the attention of the media and may be a boost to tourism. After all, the islands may be remote but they are not that hard to get to: a 2-hour flight from Scotland, Iceland or Norway will see you there.

Source: http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/absence-google-street-view-faroe-islands-launches-sheep-view

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