Pikachu is Now Helping with Pizza Delivery
Released in 2016, Pokémon Go became one of the most popular mobile games, encouraging players to explore the real world. Players completed tasks and earned rewards by scanning PokéStops and gyms. However, it turns out that these scans weren’t just used for the game. Apparently, Pokémon Go players unknowingly contributed to training delivery robots.
Pokémon Go Data Trains Delivery Robots
According to information shared by MIT Technology Review, Pokémon Go and Ingress players have performed more than 30 billion scans to date. These scans were used to improve Niantic’s Visual Positioning System (VPS) mapping system.
When players scan for a PokéStop or landmark, the system doesn’t just take a photo. It also records a wealth of data, including GPS location, camera angle, weather, time of day, and player movement. This creates a highly detailed map of the urban environment.
Niantic has now begun using this technology in a different area. The system developed by the company helps Coco Robotics’ autonomous delivery robots navigate within cities. This technology allows robots to move much more accurately, especially in areas with weak GPS signals.
According to Niantic Spatial CEO John Hanke, this connection is quite logical. Hanke says, “Getting Pikachu to run in the real world is essentially the same problem as getting a delivery robot to navigate safely in a city.” In short, it seems that Pokémon Go players have unknowingly helped robots learn about cities for years.
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