In 2016, the world learned about Niantic. Inc, the American developers blew up the market with the Pokemon GO app — a mobile role-playing game based on location-based augmented reality. According to a public report, Niantic has earned more than a billion dollars on pokemon and is now investing significant amounts in new projects.

Particularly, the creators of Pokemon GO acquire developments and young companies working with AR technologies. One of these startups is 6D.ai specializes in creating cloud-based mapping software with augmented reality. The startup has already partnered with a popular rental service. The technology allows you to see a three-dimensional visualization of space when the user brings the smartphone to a place on the map.

This purchase was the main signal that Niantic is preparing to release something more ambitious than hunting pokemon. After purchase 6D.ai the company began to implement the purchased technology into its own platform and Supplement it with the developments.

Joel Hash, the senior technical Director at Niantic, explained that for the AR successful experience, everything has to come together so that it's "really magical."

Niantic is now actively encouraging Pokemon GO users to shoot videos with specific locations, thus forming the material for building 3-d models on the map.

Photo: nigelsussman.com