Google Takes To The Streets To Solve Cities' Problems

From driver-less cars to virtual reality prospects,

has proven that it has outgrown its title as just an internet search company. On Wednesday, the tech giant

its latest venture— a new company called Sidewalk Labs that aims to improve everyday issues in major metropolitan cities.

Sidewalk Labs is a startup funded by Google that will use technology in order to solve problems that major cities face. The company's founders, former New York City Deputy Mayor and Bloomberg Chief Executive Daniel L. Doctoroff and Google CEO Larry Page, say the company will work on things like cutting down on pollution, reducing energy usage and lowering the cost of city living.

Google says the investment will begin as a modest one, but the company is expected to grow alongside the Internet of Things. The current explosion in connected devices has created an opportunity for cities to collect a vast amount of data and use it to make better decisions and improve city life.

Google isn't the first big name to look into how technology could improve cities.

and

have also begun working on improving cities' efficiency by using connected devices. The companies are working on systems that help cities improve the flow of traffic reduce energy use. However, Sidewalk Labs intends to set itself apart by focusing on the people rather than the city itself. The company

its ambitions saying that it would like to provide "technology platforms that people can plug into."