Google has announced the purchase of photo-analysis startup, Jetpac.
The firm announced the acquisition on its website, but so far the cost of the purchase has not been disclosed.
The Jetpac app currently analyses Instagram photos in order to create city travel guides.
The software scans
for commonalities among photographs to build top-10 lists in a variety of categories, including "places sports
fans hang out" and "coffee shops popular with hipsters."
Jetpac founder and CEO Julian Green explained how the app works in an interview with the New York Times.
"In the hipster category, we looked at how many more moustaches were in pictures versus the general rate of moustache wearing, and how big they are versus the normal rate of moustache exhibition," he said.
While some have criticised the app in its current form for being gimmicky, it has not been confirmed how Google plans to utilise the feature.
"If we're being totally honest, those guides weren't all that illuminating — tapping into one wouldn't give you much more than a stream of Instagram photos and location/contact information for each hotspot," said Chris Velazco of Engadget.
Google has been trying to enhance its search-around a location feature recently and the company may look to incorporate Jetpac's photo analysing algorithm into its Maps feature. The firm also launched an "Explore Nearby" option earlier in the year that recommended venues based on weather and time of the day.
As part of the acquisition, Jetpac announced that it would be removing its apps from the App Store in the coming days and ending support for them on 15 September.
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