Pokémon Go players help train courier robots

By Alimat Aliyeva

A database generated by players of the popular augmented reality mobile game Pokémon Go is now being used to help street delivery robots navigate cities, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

Coco Robotics is integrating data collected during gameplay to improve the positioning and orientation of its robots in densely populated urban areas.

Since its launch in 2016, Pokémon Go has accumulated more than 30 billion real-world images captured by users exploring streets, parks, and landmarks. This vast dataset is processed by Niantic Spatial, a division of Niantic. Using this information, engineers have developed a Visual Positioning System (VPS), which can determine the precise location and orientation of objects.

Unlike traditional satellite navigation, VPS relies on visual features of the environment. This makes it particularly effective indoors and in dense urban areas where GPS signals are often weak or unreliable.

Niantic Spatial has recently partnered with Coco Robotics, whose small wheeled delivery robots operate in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Helsinki. By combining GPS with VPS, the robots can navigate more safely and accurately in complex real-world conditions.

Experts say this technology opens up new possibilities for autonomous delivery and the future of urban robotics. Coco Robotics’ fleet of around 1,000 robots—capable of carrying groceries or multiple takeaway orders—has already completed roughly half a million deliveries.

“The potential of robotics in last-mile delivery is enormous, but navigating chaotic city streets remains one of the toughest engineering challenges,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic Spatial.

He added that creating realistic movement for a digital character is surprisingly similar to guiding a physical robot: “Getting Pikachu to move naturally and helping a delivery robot navigate safely are, in many ways, the same problem.”

Zach Rush, co-founder and CEO of Coco Robotics, highlighted the importance of the partnership: “By bringing together our engineering teams, we gain reliable access to advanced localization services that significantly improve robot navigation.”

Interestingly, in-game features like Field Research tasks encouraged players to scan statues, landmarks, and public spaces in exchange for rewards—directly contributing to the accuracy of the VPS system.

It’s also worth noting that participation in such scanning has always been voluntary. Users were required to give explicit consent, and since 2019, Niantic has emphasized transparency in how this data is collected and used.

This collaboration is a striking example of how data generated through entertainment can be repurposed to solve real-world technological challenges—blurring the line between gaming and robotics.