Today, we are announcing the acquisition of 6D.ai and welcoming members of the talented team to Niantic. Together, we’re building a dynamic, 3D map of the world so we can enable new kinds of planet-scale AR experiences. This means we're even closer to an AR platform that will unlock the ability for any developer to make content for current and future AR hardware.
From the beginning, we set out to infuse our daily lives and routines with a bit of fun and adventure by building an augmented world that parallels the physical. This bold pursuit requires significant advancements in AR technology that can only be made possible with an accurate and constantly updated 3D map of the real world. Now, we’ll be able to leverage 6D.ai’s deep expertise and significant breakthroughs in AR research and engineering to further our ongoing work in support of our mission.
Sample of a 6D.ai Crowdsourced Mesh Using a Smartphone Camera
Founded in 2017, 6D.ai was spun out from Oxford University’s Active Vision Lab, building computer vision-based technologies and developer tools that solve fundamental AR problems, such as 3D reconstruction and AR persistence. These and many other AR features are important parts of the Niantic experience, in service of our player and developer communities, both now and those who we’ll work with in the future. For the people who play our games today, it means more beloved AR experiences to come, and for our developers, an innovative platform to bring their AR visions to life.
We've just scratched the surface of the impact that AR can have on our connection to the people and places around us. Imagine everyone, at the same time, being able to experience Pokémon habitats in the real world or watch dragons fly through the sky and land on buildings in real-time. Imagine our favorite characters taking us on a walking tour of hidden city gems, or friends leaving personal notes for others to find later.
These are just a few examples of the kinds of experiences that large-scale AR mapping can enable. We're looking forward to working with the 6D.ai team as we continue charting our course forward.
For 6D.ai’s shared perspective on the news, please see the blog post from 6D.ai CEO Matt Miesnieks.
-jh