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For Transmediale 2010 F.A.T. members met in Berlin and produced a series of projects dedicated to the topic of the week: FUCK GOOGLE. In addition to free software, browser addons, live streams, communiques and on-site workshops, F.A.T. Lab built a fake Google Street View car and conquered the city of Berlin! All FG projects!


Now it’s your turn! Go out there and see what it’s like to be Google!

Download the instructions in a PDF here!

Step 1:  Find the correct car:

Do some research on Google images and pick the exact car model used by Google in your city. Contact your local car rental. If the car doesn’t come with one, rent or buy the specific roof-rack for that car.


Original Google Street View car Germany (2006 – 2008, last seen in Berlin Oct. 2009)


Fake Google Street View car by F.A.T. Lab during Transmediale Berlin 2010

Step 2: Materials:

(x1)  PVC tubing 11 cm diam. – 140 cm (main pole)
(x2)  wooden boards 100 x 16 x 2,5 cm (base)
(x1)  wooden board 130 x 30 x 2,5 cm (base)
(x2)  wooden poles 3 cm diam. – 130 cm (diagonals)
(x2)  wooden poles 2 cm diam. – 100 cm (lower diagonals)
(x2) wooden board 55 x 55 x 1 cm (octagon)
(x2) wooden board 40 x 30 x 1 cm (center box)
(x2) wooden board 40 x 23 x 1 cm (center box)
(x2) wooden board 28 x 230 x 1 cm (center box)
(x6) big sheets of 2mm card board(x16) L-brackets
(x1) container craft glue
(x1) hot glue gun
(x1) roll of double-sided tape
(x1) 50 meter roll of white duct tape
(x1) can of black paint
(x1) paint brush
(x3) black spray paint
(x2) white spray paint
(x1) big sheet of black reflective vinyl
(x10) M8 x 50 bolts
(x10) M8 nuts
(x50) selection of wood screws
(8 m)  steel cable
(x8) cable crimps
(x4) cable tensioners
(x8) eye hooks
(x2) Google street view signs
(x1) roof rack

Step 3: Plan overview:

Feel free to make adjustments to the dimensions and go into more detail than we did. As you can see, our camera-top came out a little bigger than the original one. The laser scanners (white boxes) were adjusted to size but came out too big in relation to the rest.


Step 4: Center box & tube


  1. Mount the center box and saw a hole 11cm in diameter in the center.
  2. Slip it over the tube and attach it with L-brackets and screws.
  3. Cut 2 octagons from the 55 x 55 cm wood boards.
  4. Mount the base octagon on top of the tube with L-brackets.
  5. Paint/spray all black.

Step 5: Octagon (no cameras inside!)

  1. Cut the inner and outer octagon walls from the cardboard.
  2. Paint both sides of the strips black.
  3. Glue 4 pieces of wood (23 cm) to the inner ring.
  4. Screw and glue the inner ring on the base.
  5. Hide the inside with a cylinder of black vinyl.
  6. Screw and glue the top octagon.
  7. Clamp the outer ring on.
  8. Mount the finished octagon on the main tube with L-brackets.

Step 6: Laser scanners & control unit

  1. Build the laser scanner boxes from cardboard.
  2. Use white tape or paint to cover them.
  3. Bend a piece of cardboard in the window and cover it with black vinyl.
  4. Mount the 3 boxes to the center box (directions!)
  5. Build the control unit, paint it yellow, and screw it to the rear side of the center box.

Step 7: Mount main pole on base unit

  1. Mount the main pole to the base with L-brackets.
  2. Attach rods to the ring on the tube and screw them in the base.
  3. Stabilize with flight cables on all 4 corners of the center box to the base.
  4. Add lower diagonals, dish and stand for optical enhancement.

Step 8: Mount the fake camera top onto the car:

  1. Screw 4 holes (8mm in diameter) in each bar of the roof rack.
  2. Drill the corresponding holes in the wooden base.
  3. Mount the camera top with nuts and bolts to the roof rack
  4. Make sure the roof rack is mounted and sits tight.

Drive carefully and have fun in the city!!!

fat-vs-google2

More pics on fuckflickr here, here and here !

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Posted on February 15, 2010

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COMMENTS

  1. […] Zum Abschluss:  How to build a fake Google Street View car […]

  2. […] Vous trouverez ainsi sur l’article suivant l‘itinéraire complet pour upgrader votre véhicule. […]

  3. This is really kind of cool hack ;)
    If you have been looking forward to know what is the next step, well, you may find it as the http://www.videostreetview.com created by http://www.virtualVisit.tv , which matches internet maps and immersive videos showing the position of the 360° geoimmersive streetview data capture car. When will you “fucking hack” this one ;) ?

  4. SPEAR says:

    Nice work! Keep it UP!

  5. […] что немецкие шутники создали даже специальный “фейковый” гугломобиль, чтобы разыгрывать горожан. Кстати, по ссылке вы […]

  6. […] Art & Technology) Lab replicated a Google Street View and published the DIY kit on “How to build a fake Google Street View Car” in 8 easy steps, from renting the correct car to buying the right materials (wooden boards, […]

  7. […] Build your own Google Street View Car Recently following several interesting links I often end up at the site from the guys from F.A.T. (Free Art & Technology). This time I saw I brilliant video how they built their own Google Street View Car and drove around Berlin. You can read their whole post here. […]

  8. […] Bastel-Anleitung des Tages: So baut man ein Fake-Google-Streetview-Car. […]

  9. […] F.A.T – free art and technology weiss wie es funktioniert und die haben es auch getestet. Muss lustig sein, damit mal ein bissl in der Stadt herum zu kurven, oder möglichst abgelegene Ortschaften zu besuchen… […]

  10. […] des clichés des rues et des monuments. Fabriquez vous une Google Car en suivant les infos de ce site […]

  11. That’s a pretty amazing clone of the google maps car, right down to similar looking camera, roof rack, and google logo. awesome.

    now if I could just get it to index my town!

  12. […] Via the most groovy Free Art and Technology (F.A.T) lab, detailed schematics and instructions on how to build your own (fake) Google Street View car. […]

  13. POPO says:

    Whyyyyyyyyyy so many people are interested in an interracial relationship. black woman want to have fun with white man and black guys want to have fun with white women. There are many sites focusing on this kind of relationships such as ==== B_l_a_c_k_w_h_i_t_e_C_u_p_i_d . c_o_m ===== recommend it here ==== B_l_a_c_k_w_h_i_t_e_C_u_p_i_d . c_o_m ====
    Lots of my friends found their lovers through the service.

  14. Michael says:

    Great Blog-Post. Perhaps I try to build my own Google Car ;)

  15. Daniel says:

    Wow, you guys really need to find a better hobby. Driving like retards in a car made up to look like Google does nothing to Google. You are just making an ass of yourselves. Oh well, to each his own.

  16. […] a hilarious joke on Google Streetview from an interesting group of people; The Free Art and Technology (F.A.T.) Lab. Will be digging them […]

  17. pointless says:

    Why?

  18. […] Google spielen… Anleitung “How to build a fake Google street view car” von F.A.T., entstanden im Rahmen der Transmediale […]

  19. […] alles gut geht, wird auf der diesjährigen FSA-Demonstration dank großzügiger Unterstützung von Aram Bartholl ein Fahrzeug von Prügel Street View vertreten sein, das mit seinem […]

  20. […] selbst eine persönliche führung durch die benachbarten straßen. ganz ohne google street car. auf seltsame passanten und nackte wahrheiten muss trotzdem nicht verzichtet werden. […]

  21. Santi says:

    WTF???? Why the hell did you spend so much time and effort doing this???? FUCKING POINTLESS!!!!!!!!! life is short, spend your time wisely…

  22. Len says:

    Well Santi, some people think it’s most important to be happy in life. Your comment is what is fucking pointless.

  23. kjbhjb says:

    i found this website with google

  24. […] mutha-fuckin LOL at a time“. Eins der Projekte, das bisher am meisten Aufsehen erregte, war “How to build a fake Google Street View car”. Evan dazu:„Just to let look Google like […]

  25. michael says:

    Brilliant. I have to do it. And record it all on video.

  26. the driving schools in our area are quite good in giving basic driving lessons,’*

  27. BlueGerbil says:

    What a bunch of nerds! Go, get a life!

  28. […] >> Die Streetview Kamera im Eigenbau […]

  29. […] to break it to you, but that's a fake. How to build a fake Google Street View car | F.A.T. __________________ After spending a year in the "Holy Land", I'm really not at all […]

  30. […] proces, zdjÄ™cia, efekt koÅ„cowy i w ogóle tutaj UdostÄ™pnij wpis Subskrybuj Zostaw swój komentarz poniżej: Tagi: google, […]

  31. […] yes true I heard they tagged the car with a GPS last February … what?!? They hijacked it?!?! (https://fffff.at/google-street-view-car/ – don t miss the video) … OMG !!!…btw, we love Google ! (because we need it to […]

  32. GnXd says:

    wow i’m behind. i still love you guys and i doubt there is anything you all could come up with that is not a waist of time. Thank you for being awesome as usual : D

  33. bodo bach says:

    Idiotisch. Man, wir sind alle richtig rebellisch. Demonstriert lieber mal gegen unsere Politiker. Effizient!

  34. […] Full info and full video here: fffff.at/​google-street-view-car/​ […]

  35. […] google Street view car est une initiative du Groupe F.A.T (Free Art and Technology) au cours de leur Workshop “Fuck Google ” lors de la dernière […]

  36. […] or irritation to various artists. This has led to, for instance, a thought-provoking fake Google Street View Car that was made by the Free Art & Technology Lab (F.A.T.) during Transmediale Berlin 2010. Or a […]

  37. This was stupid and pointless ffs… Sorry to be so harsh but its true… This WAS STUPID…

  38. […] qui a lancé une fausse voiture Google Street View en train de photographier les rues de Berlin par là, mais ça jamais ! Un joli buzz en perspective pour nos deux plongeurs vikings […]

  39. […] Duplicating the Google Streetview car […]

  40. ° says:

    Now street view cime to israel

  41. Nice blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog shine. Please let me know where you got your theme. Bless you

  42. I really like what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of clever work and exposure! Keep up the good works guys I’ve added you guys to blogroll.

  43. […] was very special and became one of my personal highlights in F.A.T. history !! (…besides the TM fake G-car :) […]

  44. […] How to build a fake Google Street View car | F.A.T.(x6) big sheets of 2mm card board(x16) L-brackets; (x1) container craft glue; (x1) hot glue gun; (x1) roll of double-sided tape; (x1) 50 meter roll of white duct tape; (x1) can of black paint; (x1) paint brush; (x3) black spray paint; […]

  45. […] trokken ze onder Google’s naam de aandacht. Kan je zelf ook doen, F.A.T. Lab legt je graag uit hoe. F.A.T. Lab geeft ook oplossingen voor alledaagse problemen. Op hun site vind je bijvoorbeeld […]

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