Apple cars will visit Barcelona, Madrid, and the rest of Spain starting tomorrow: the continuous evolution of Apple Maps

With the continuous goal of improving the accuracy and detail of Apple Maps, starting tomorrow, March 19th, Spain will become the stage for a remarkable mapping operation by Apple. An initiative that will see not only specialized vehicles touring the streets of the country until June 25th, but also individuals equipped with image capture technology strolling through Barcelona and Madrid from March 28th to May 29th.

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Updated data for complete accuracy

The purpose behind this operation is to capture images and detailed data from areas that vehicles cannot access. This means that if we walk around Barcelona or Madrid soon, we will be able to observe people equipped with curious portable Apple backpacks, designed to collect both images and LiDAR data to build 3D models of the environment.

These backpacks, a more compact version of the systems used in vehicles, allow for the collection of detailed information on pedestrian-only streets, parks, squares, and even public transportation stations. The collected information will contribute to even greater accuracy in the Maps app on our iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Since its first release, Apple has progressively evolved the quality of its maps. The latest update of Apple Maps now includes the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and several others, highlighting the company’s commitment to continuous improvement of its services. In fact, on the Apple website is where we can check the scheduled days for image collection and, at the same time, get an idea of the scale of the project needed to keep our maps up to date.

Obviously, image capture will always maintain our privacy. Just like when Apple first started developing its own maps, all the images that become part of the Panoramic View feature will go through a process of blurring faces and license plates.

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It is sometimes easy to forget the enormous dedication required to keep the information on the maps we rely on every day updated. Streets change direction, parks or squares may be under construction or have just undergone a renovation, and having that information available on our maps is a titanic task. Proof of this is that, as early as tomorrow, we will be able to see the collection of information as it happens and soon see it reflected in the Maps app on our iPhone.