UK: Apple Map vehicles will tour across the highlands of Scotland and farms of Wales to collect data at the street level. Vehicles will initially roam at Fort William, Scotland and Bridgend Country Borough, Wales. It is expected that vehicles will start roaming between October 9th and October 22nd, and the exercise will continue till November 5th.
Apple hasn’t revealed the exact reason for collection of map data. The technology company said that it wants to “collect data which will be used to improve Apple Maps,” some of which should be “published in future Apple Maps updates.”
Following the footsteps of Google, Apple has said it will blur any faces and license plates in recorded images.
Apple doesn’t have an equivalent of the Street View mode in Google Maps, suggesting that either it will eventually add this feature, or that the company is simply looking to obtain high-level road detail. Apple’s vehicles are fitted not just with cameras but advanced sensors such as LiDAR.
Apple could conceivably apply the data to its self-driving car platform. Work is currently believed to be focused on software, with the eventual goal of use in a ridehailing service, which is most likely to be a partner firm.
