Google Street View heads to the Amazon, enables virtual river excursions

If being able to see the Colosseum of Rome or trek around Stonehenge from the comfort of your La-Z-boy is your cup of tea, Google has another living room adventure for you. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to keep dry on the sofa while floating down Brazil’s Amazon and Rio Negro Rivers via Street View. That’s right, folks… an expedition to one of the most remote, yet biologically diverse locales on the globe will become a reality for many who feared it’d remain elusive forever — if you don’t mind exploring remotely using your favorite web-enabled device, of course. Teams are currently gathering images from the adjacent forests and local villages using the trike , floating cameras down the river by boat and even training locals to use the equipment. The project is a joint effort between Brazil and U.S. Street View teams alongside the Foundation for a Sustainable Amazon (FAS). Check out the full rundown by hitting the source link below and begin planning your trip — to the couch, that is. Google Street View heads to the Amazon, enables virtual river excursions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink