Starting April 24, people in Dubai will notice Apple vehicles driving around the city as part of the company’s Maps rebuild. Apple has been rebuilding its map from the ground up around the world by driving millions of miles with vehicles packed with advanced image and LIDAR capture equipment.
In the upcoming days, Apple Maps will focus on surveying Dubai, with specially-equipped vehicles exploring the city’s streets and backpacks used to gather information about pedestrian-only areas. The new map has already been rolled out in several countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and Singapore, with more countries being updated each year.
The data collected in Dubai will enable Apple to improve its Maps service with better navigation, richer detail, and more accurate information for places. The company has emphasized its commitment to protecting user privacy while collecting this data. Faces and license plates will be censored on collected images prior to publication, according to a statement made to Khaleej Times.
Apple is conducting ground surveys with vehicles around the world to collect data to improve its Maps and support the Look Around feature. The company may periodically revisit and re-collect data in some locations to maintain a high-quality, up-to-date map. Pedestrian surveys using backpack systems and other devices are also being used to collect data in areas where vehicles cannot go while using the same privacy protections as the Apple Maps vehicles.
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