Google has added over 9,500 "panoramic images" of the Grand Canyon to its Maps service. Accessible via the StreetView option, the images give breathtaking views of the Bright Angel Trail, Colorado river, and other landmarks. To capture the panoramas, the company used specially-designed "Trekker" backpacks. Announced back in July last year, the Android-powered Trekker backpacks include 15 camera lenses and weigh 40 pounds. Google gave the backpacks to a number of employees and sent them out in the sweltering Arizona heat to walk over 75 miles of trails, capturing some stunning images along the way.

The search giant hasn't revealed where it'll take its backpacks next, but we expect to see more landmarks documented in this way soon. Intriguingly, Google has said multiple times that it wants to add Trekker-like functions to its upcoming Google Glass headset, meaning in the future, the panoramic imagery could be coming directly from you.