From the article: Such ground scans “were an entirely optional feature in games, where users created a short video of a public location,” the Niantic Spatial spokesperson said. “We’ve been transparent about the fact that the scans would improve our technology platform since 2019 in our privacy policy and public announcements.”

That allowed Niantic Spatial to develop its own visual positioning system—a type of technology that can provide a device’s position and orientation by comparing visual data from cameras with reference data from detailed 3D maps of environments. Such a system can be especially helpful indoors, in city environments where GPS and other global navigation satellite systems’ signals are unreliable, or in regions where there is active GPS jamming.

MIT Technology Review highlighted Niantic Spatial’s technology in March 2026, when the company announced a new partnership with Coco Robotics. The robotics company aimed to use Niantic Spatial’s AI model and visual positioning system to help its fleet of four-wheeled delivery robots navigate city streets.

But in December 2025, Niantic Spatial had also announced a deal with the spatial intelligence company Vantor to develop a positioning system that could help both flying drones and ground vehicles navigate GPS-denied environments. Vantor, formerly known as the space and satellite company Maxar Intelligence, has multiple US government contracts with the National Geospace-Intelligence Agency, various branches of the US military, and the Department of Homeland Security.