Lightship VPS: Building Our 3D Map From Crowdsourced Scans

In part 1, we covered the beginning steps: data collection and processing. Here, we explain how Niantic is processing data, how we’re building a human-readable map with computer vision, and how it will all ultimately lead to the 3D AR map of the future. Creating a 3D map of the world and putting virtual objects into real-world settings is complex, entailing many stages that require a network of data pipelines, AI, algorithms and servers. They add “scans” all of the time at Wayspots, which currently includes 17 million points of interest worldwide chosen by players. The scans are 15- to 30-second video clips each, equivalent to 300 images we use to build the 3D map.