Apple confirms deployment of pedestrian-level data gathering in California

Apple’s pedestrian-level data gathering operations have begun.
The company has confirmed plans to conduct more on-foot data collection for Apple Maps, going beyond the first efforts in San Francisco.
Between November 26th and December 23rd, Apple will be deploying a Lidar-equipped team to operate in the California counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz, the company said on its website. So far the company hasn’t announced plans beyond the state.

The first collection workers were spotted in the San Francisco area in October, members carrying oversized backpacks with many of the same cameras and sensors found on Maps vehicles. It’s thought that Apple is hoping to improve pedestrian and/or cycling directions, since Apple Maps often assumes people have to travel the same paths as cars.
It’s also thought that this could be part of Apple’s plans to collect first-party mapping data. Plans to switch to first-party data and maps were announced last Just and could help centralize Apple’s data sources for its Maps applications.
The iOS Maps app began its life using data from Google Maps, but Apple decided to jettison Google content with 2012’s iOS 6. This led to havoc in the short term as the service was saddled with missing or inaccurate data, sometimes putting lives at risk.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Apple