Apple wants to improve its Maps application, and it may be doing so via a new piece of technology: drones.
Bloomberg has reported that the Cupertino-based company is assembling a team of robotics and data-collection experts that will use drones to capture and update map information faster. The use of drones to improve on Apple Maps isn’t exactly farfetched either as Bloomberg found a 2015 document from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the U.S. that gives Apple a license to “operate an unmanned aircraft system to conduct data collection, photography and videography.” This same document also reveals that Apple intends to acquire drones from DJI and Aibotix for this specific purpose.
The decision to use drones to improve upon the Maps application is one made with concern over time. Apple believes that using a fleet of drones to gather mapping data would be faster than relying upon a fleet of vans with sensors. As locations tend to change over time, the app needs to be updated with mistakes fixed as soon as possible.
Besides using drones to improve map data, Apple is looking to add an indoor maps feature and an indoor positioning system that would take advantage of the iPhone’s sensors to provide the user with location of where they are in the building. To do so, Apple has acquired a startup called Indoor.io to realise its indoor mapping ambitions.
Source: Bloomberg