Apple employees wearing backpack containing iPhone 11 Pro go everywhere to take photos for Apple Maps

On Thursday, in Silicon Valley, an Apple employee was spotted carrying an upgrade of a specialized backpack to collect data, with several brand-new iPhone 11 Pro mounted on it. . This backpack, which can be used for the purpose of collecting images and data for Apple Maps, looks similar to the backpack in 2018. But this time, it has a sturdy outer coating - and at least 3 of Apple's latest iPhones, most likely used to take pictures of the back and sides of the backpack.

You can see the image below to compare the old and new backpack:

Apple employees wearing backpack containing iPhone 11 Pro go everywhere to take photos for Apple Maps Picture 1

On the left is in 2018, on the right is in 2019 with the iPhone 11 Pro attached.

The employee with this new Apple Maps backpack was found in Palo Alto, California, at the intersection of Avenue University and Ramona Road, next to Hookah Nites. Equipping 3 more iPhone 11 Pros to the backpack will allow Apple to take 3 photos (or record 3 videos) of each scene, with 3 different lenses from each angle. Three LiDAR sensors are on the top of the backpack, along with a device mounted on a pole on the top, possibly a navigation system.

Look Around is Apple's answer to Street View

Apple hasn't said anything about the above mentioned Apple Maps backpack. However, they can use it to collect data for the Look Around feature that has just been added to Apple Maps in iOS 13. As Apple's answer to Google's Street View, this feature will provide Users get a detailed view of the street environment at certain locations.

Apple employees wearing backpack containing iPhone 11 Pro go everywhere to take photos for Apple Maps Picture 2

Look Around feature of Apple Maps

Apple is currently spending billions of dollars to upgrade its mapping service after an unfavorable start in 2012. The Look Around feature has received a lot of praise, but unfortunately it's only useful. in some areas only.

" The map brings interactive images of high-resolution streets, 3D images, and the ability to switch smoothly and smoothly between big cities with Look Around" - Apple said when launching the upgrade. of map services last month. " Customers from all over the world can travel through New York City, Bay Area San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, and Oahu. More locations will be added later."

Apple Maps backpack used to collect data for Look Around?

The first Apple Maps backpack came out in the fall of 2018, about nine months before Apple introduced Look Around. It has a soft shell, attaches a variety of sensors. Apple released a hard-shell version a few months later to better protect internal components.

Apple may be testing a new backpack in Palo Alto before it is rolled out globally. Camera system including 3 iPhones can also be used to collect data for indoor mapping.

It's unclear what Apple is hiding inside the hard-shelled backpack. However, a backpack filled with such a sensor must be battery-operated, and perhaps even an internal microprocessor!

Reference: CultofMac