One man—and 99 second-hand smartphones—created a virtual traffic jam in Google Maps.
Simon Weckert “hacked” the popular web mapping service by simply walking around, pulling a wagon full of connected devices.
Since 2007, Google has offered traffic data as a colored overlay—green (no congestion), yellow (mild hold ups), red (gridlock). The app relies on crowdsourcing to obtain GPS locations of cellphone users and produce live traffic reports.
The more signals emanating from one place, the more likely Google Maps will paint the roads red.
Weckert tested that theory by dragging a squeaky cart, brimming with 99 handsets running the Maps platform, across various Berlin streets.
As he walks, Google recognizes the high concentration of “users” and their slow-moving “traffic,” then marks the route as being snarled.
In a video (above) shared to his personal website, Weckert can be seen strolling along casually—as if he’s taking a child or pet for a ride, not carrying a pile of expensive gadgets.
“Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red,” Weckert wrote of the performance. “Which has an impact on the physical world by navigating cars on another route to avoid being stuck in traffic.”
He even created a virtual bottleneck outside the Google Berlin offices.
The cheeky artist created a virtual traffic jam outside the Google Berlin office (via Simon Weckert)
The map maker, meanwhile, has taken this little stunt in stride.
“Whether via car or cart or camel, we love seeing creative uses of Google Maps as it helps us make maps work better over time,” a company spokesperson told 9to5Google.
“Traffic data in Google Maps is refreshed continuously,” the statement continued, “thanks to information from a variety of sources,” including folks with location services turned on.
The application can already distinguish between cars and motorcycles in several populous countries, “though we haven’t quite cracked traveling by wagon,” the firm joked.
More on Geek.com:
- Google Maps Introduces Incognito Mode for iOS
- Google Maps Turns Spotlight on Local Guides
- Google Maps Audibly Translates Place Names, So You Don’t Have To
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