Pokémon Go Data Powers Niantic's Visual Positioning System for Delivery Robots

Since its 2016 launch, Pokémon Go players have unknowingly contributed over 30 billion images to Niantic's Visual Positioning System (VPS), a spatial AI technology that enables centimetre-level location accuracy by analyzing visual cues from real-world environments. Niantic Spatial has partnered with Coco Robotics to apply this system in delivery robots, improving navigation in dense urban areas where GPS signals are unreliable. This collaboration leverages crowdsourced data from millions of players worldwide to enhance autonomous robot movement on sidewalks and precise delivery operations.