What algorithm(s) are behind Google Street View's 3d mapping mode? I recently noticed that in some locations you could switch to a 3d mapping mode in Google Street View.
Which algorithm(s) did they use to generate the 3d models of the streets? I assume it was more than just capture, given the huge amount of data that would be necessary to produce an accurate representation of the streets.
Google said how in 2012, avoiding explaining too many details

The never-ending quest for the perfect map


  ...new imagery rendering techniques and computer vision that let us
  automatically create 3D cityscapes, complete with buildings, terrain
  and even landscaping, from 45-degree aerial imagery


and here it's a video of the feature.

So we know that "Computer Vision" is used. I guess the edges are detected, along with the shadows, to build the elevation of the object. Then the segmented image is used as a texture on the built mesh.

However, i saw this paper linked, and i think a similar technique is used in Google to extract the 3d mesh from different 45° images.

There are a lot of papers (a book too) about "building extraction/detection".


Detection of buildings in urban and suburban areas using very high resolution satellite
Google Scholar: Building Detection
Google Scholar: Building Detection from Satellite Images


src: How does the new google maps make buildings and cityscapes 3D?