14.7.16

Remote Islands Create Street View by Strapping Cameras to Sheep

Strapping 360-degree cameras to sheep is clearly the way to image this archipelago​. ​

If you have trouble learning the geography of the Faroe Islands, located in the Norwegian Sea between Norway and Iceland, it might be because the remote archipelago has yet to receive the Google Street View treatment. But now, a new campaign is looking to change that through the wondrous power of sheep.

With less than 50,000 people living on the islands, and more than 80,000 sheep, the local tourist organization decided that the best move was to make use of the abundant natural resource to entice Google.

Durita Dahl Andreassen of Visit Faroe Islands decided to enlist the services of the wooly locals by attaching a solar-powered, 360-degree camera to the back of a sheep and letting it waltz around, capturing the hilly terrain. They call it Sheep View 360.

As the sheep graze around the islands, pictures are sent back to Andreassen with GPS co-ordinates, which are then uploaded to Google Street View. So far, the Sheep View team have taken panoramic images of five locations on the island, seen on the map below. A 360 video has also been produced so you can fully experience the sheep's life the way you've always wanted.



The islands' name translates to 'The Island of Sheep,' and the country's old coat of arms also features the ovine, so the connection is clear. Whether it's enough for Google to begin documenting the terrain remains to be seen.

Check the video: https://www.facebook.com/unitedphotopress/videos/889394861187220/