Is this "interest" have the same meaning as "interest in sth"?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
The whole phrase "in the interest of" is an idiom that means "for the purpose of". Another way you can think of this sentence is, "For scientific reasons, we sent a camera out onto Hollywood Boulevard today." Ex: In the interest of health, you should exercise regularly. Ex: In the interest of safety, wearing a seatbelt is a good idea.