Niantic is working to enhance its 3D mapping capabilities and is leveraging its 2021 acquisition of the Scaniverse app to achieve this goal.
The significant update to Scaniverse introduces version 4, which will enable iOS users to scan landmarks by moving around them and recording video for approximately one to three minutes. This enhanced scanning process builds on Niantic’s existing visual positioning system (VPS), which allows for precise user location mapping within augmented reality (AR) experiences by integrating real-world visuals.
Niantic’s apps, such as Pokémon GO, Wayfarer, and Ingress, have long provided incentives for users to upload scans of their surroundings. With the latest update, the scans are expected to be even more detailed and technically sophisticated.
Scaniverse 4 employs a technique known as Gaussian splatting, which captures a greater number of data points about an object. This method results in a more accurate, detailed, and faster rendering of the scanned landmarks.
The investment in these advanced mapping technologies signifies Niantic’s commitment to improving the AR experience in its popular games and applications.
