Niantic Says Pokémon Go Data Now Being Used to Train Delivery Robots, as 'Getting Pikachu to Realistically Run Around' Is 'Actually the Same Problem'

Pokémon Go creator Niantic is utilizing players' augmented world information to assistance bid transportation robots.

Now rebranded arsenic Niantic Spatial, the institution has joined forces with robotic startup Coco to assistance its fleet of 1000 suitcase-sized transportation vehicles trundle safely done engaged metropolis streets — conscionable arsenic Pikachu might, if helium were real.

While Pokémon Go (plus Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now) are present owned and operated by Monopoly Go shaper Scopely, Niantic inactive retains the database of augmented world information collected implicit the years — during which time, the institution has received millions of real-world scans submitted by players.

Coco's robot, trained courtesy of Pikachu and friends. Image credit: Niantic Spatial.

To beryllium clear, these are consciously recorded and uploaded video scans of a circumstantial real-world determination already identified in-game — a PokéStop oregon Gym location, fundamentally — specified arsenic a portion of thoroughfare creation oregon notable building. This is not thing Niantic has been harvesting softly portion your telephone is successful your pocket.

Niantic Spatial has not been shy astir its request for real-world information it tin plug into an augmented world representation of the world, utile for a aboriginal wherever we're each utilizing AR-enhanced exertion to navigate the planet, successful cars oregon connected ft — oregon to person your takeaway pizza via robot delivery.

"Everybody thought that AR was the future, that AR glasses were coming," Brian McClendon, CTO astatine Niantic Spatial, told MIT Technology Review. "And past robots became the audience."

"The municipality canyon is the worst spot successful the satellite for GPS," McClendon continued, referencing the wide of buildings successful municipality environments that tin play havoc with GPS determination detection. "If you look astatine that bluish dot connected your phone, you'll often spot it drift 50 meters, which puts you connected a antithetic artifact going a antithetic absorption connected the incorrect broadside of the street."

It's present that Niantic Spatial wants to usage its real-world information learnings to let robots similar Coco's to navigate connected their own, without the request to trust connected fuzzy GPS. "It turns retired that getting Pikachu to realistically tally astir and getting Coco's robot to safely and accurately determination done the satellite is really the aforesaid problem," commented Niantic Spatial laminitis and CEO John Hanke.

The institution says it has entree to 30 cardinal images successful municipality environments, though it's unclear if this refers to idiosyncratic video frames. Still, it's an tremendous fig for Coco's robots to past larn from, arsenic they navigate the streets of Los Angeles, Chicago, Jersey City, Miami, and Helsinki.

"If robots are ever going to assimilate into that situation successful a mode that's not disruptive for quality beings, they're going to person to person a akin level of spatial understanding," Hanke concluded. "We tin assistance robots find precisely wherever they are erstwhile they’ve been jostled and bumped." Time volition archer if it's ace effective.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social