Google comes to the rescue of entomophiles locked inside their homes amidst the global pandemic

July 8, 2020 1:30am IST Google

    Monsoon is in full swing, which means the air and ground are teeming with little critters, crawlies, and other tiny things that fly and buzz. But, the global pandemic has undoubtedly been a nightmare for some entomophiles as it has restricted them from fulfilling their daily dose of exploration. But, Google is here for their rescue; it has recently updated it’s AR gallery with the addition of 23 new insects to its collection of 3D animals in search.

To check them out, all you have to do is open Google Search or google.com on your Android browser and type their name; then you should look for the big card with the "View in 3D" button (test screenshots appended). That gives you a large 3D version of the insect, which you can rotate, enlarge, flip around, and observe from all angles. You also get to hear its buzz and other distinctive sounds and see it spread its wings and transform in front of your eyes.

From there, you can tap to view it in your space, which puts the insect on a flat surface in front of you, though in a larger-than-life-size. Pinch-to-zoom works here, but if you want to see how tiny a bug really is, you'll need to tap "view actual size." You can also grab screenshots or record videos, and when you're done, go back to the 3D model and swipe up to reveal other related insects.