Apple reportedly has assembled a group of robotics and data-collection experts who will use drones to obtain data for updates to its Maps app. Apple, Google and others in the cartography space currently collect a lot of their data using motor vehicles equipped with high-tech gear. "That's a very expensive and time-consuming process," said Sam Abuelsamid, a senior research analyst at Navigant Research. "Doing it with drones provides the potential to gather the same kind of data in a much more cost-effective manner and do it more rapidly."Apple Drone Fleet to Gather Maps Data
Apple reportedly has assembled a group of robotics and data-collection experts who will use drones to obtain data for updates to its Maps app. Apple, Google and others in the cartography space currently collect a lot of their data using motor vehicles equipped with high-tech gear. "That's a very expensive and time-consuming process," said Sam Abuelsamid, a senior research analyst at Navigant Research. "Doing it with drones provides the potential to gather the same kind of data in a much more cost-effective manner and do it more rapidly."