The problem with becoming a spy, special military operative, or good-guy master thief planning out one last heist from a corrupt . . . whoever, is that the technology at your disposal will never be as cool as movies have made you expect—especially when it comes to planning. Sure, it’s probably just as effective to plot out your stealthy movements on a low-tech paper map, but it just doesn’t feel the same unless your whole team is gathered around a table-sized display full of high-def satellite imagery. But there’s hope for that kind of cinematic dream: the Paris Center for Architecture and Urbanism now features Google Earth running across 48 screens, operated via four multi-touch displays with pinch-to-zoom.
The 40 square meter exposition is powered by Google’s open source Liquid Galaxy tech, which lets anyone create a multi-screen Google Earth with some networking know-how. Here’s how the massive display was constructed, and what it looks like in action.
Le Pavillon de l’Aresenal asked Google to create this digital model highlighting the 2020 Paris metropolitan area, including 3D versions of planned buildings. Google plans to include their work on the project in future Liquid Galaxy documentation.