Apple Maps: employees map the UK on foot

Apple employees are not only in France to improve the Maps application, they are also in the United Kingdom and more precisely in England. They too are on foot to map certain towns.

Apple Maps teams are in the UK

Apple uses cameras and sensors mounted on pedestrian backpacks to collect map data in Berkshire, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and the West Midlands, in more than 85 specific towns and boroughs. It is a question of going to the pedestrian areas which are difficult to access, or even completely inaccessible by car.

On arrival, this will improve the Maps application and have an equivalent of Street View as on Google Maps. As is already possible in several cities in the United States, we can walk the streets and choose our preferred angle of view. Apple does not yet say when the data will be available for England. Moreover, the group does not say either when it will be available in France.

Here is what Apple says on its site for on-foot mapping:

Some pedestrian recordings use backpack-mounted equipment to use the data directly in Maps, for example for the 360º view. Other pedestrian recordings are made with iPads, iPhones or other devices to improve the shots. These pedestrian recordings allow us to improve and update the Maps app in areas where vehicles simply cannot go while using the same privacy protections as vehicles.