Localize
Niantic Spatial’s Visual Positioning System (VPS) delivers precise, vision-based positioning and orientation anywhere in the world, including places where GPS is denied or compromised. Powered by the Large Geospatial Model, Niantic Spatial’s VPS builds on traditional visual positioning systems to return the best available location and pose with greater coverage and reduced data requirements.
Niantic Spatial’s Visual Positioning System (VPS) delivers adaptive 3DOF (GPS and orientation) and 6DOF (full spatial position and orientation) localization, allowing customers to enhance global vision-based positioning with their own mapped data for continuous and seamless operation.
Localization Capabilities
Global Coverage
Vision-based localization that works outdoors, mapped indoor locations, and GPS-denied environments. Use Niantic Spatial Capture tools and services to combine proprietary or captured data with a continually growing network of pre-mapped locations worldwide.
Private Mapping Integration
Bring your own data to map private indoor and outdoor spaces, with frequent updates as needed.
Uninterrupted Service
Switch seamlessly between private and public maps.
Superior Accuracy
More precise positioning and orientation than GPS and compass, available wherever visual data can be captured.
What Sets Niantic Spatial VPS Apart
| Feature | Niantic Spatial VPS | Others |
|---|---|---|
| Data Sources | Deep learning based architecture enables localization from a variety of 2D and 3D data sources. | Requires pre-mapping using proprietary software or use of closed proprietary datasets. |
| Robustness | Industry-leading research underpins a redundant deep-learning based system that ensures robust performance. | Rely on brittle CV approaches that may not be reliable in varying lighting and weather conditions. |
| Pipeline | Pipeline produces localization maps and 3D digital twins with semantic content. | Localization pipelines produce only limited mesh outputs. |
Secure Localization for Private Environments
Niantic Spatial VPS is available to organizations needing localized coverage within controlled, private spaces. Create and manage access-restricted locations while retaining full data ownership.
Key Features
Secure data control: Keep spatial data private with encrypted storage, governed access, and full data ownership.
Role-based management: Assign permissions for who can view, edit, or localize within specific areas.
Flexible scalability: Scale coverage and costs dynamically based on the number of active locations.
Best experienced on desktop
Maps for Machines
This demo simulates how Niantic Spatial's VPS localizes robots in the physical world. As the robot moves, it matches live visual data against high-fidelity 3D models to maintain precise spatial awareness.
Built for the Real World
Defense
Enable mission-critical situational awareness with real-time 3D positioning and orientation, even in GPS-compromised or denied areas.
Robotics & Autonomy
Provide continuous positioning and orientation to enable robots, drones, and vehicles to navigate complex environments safely and efficiently.
Intelligent Field Operations
Enhance decision-making, logistics, and inspection workflows by providing reliable localization and mapping at enterprise scale, including in remote and dynamic environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between VPS and GPS?
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GPS estimates location from satellite signals, while Niantic Spatial’s Visual Positioning System (VPS) uses visual context and device sensor data to estimate position and orientation. VPS can work alongside GPS, fusing multiple signals to return the best available pose. This makes it useful when GPS is noisy, obstructed, degraded, or unavailable.
Is VPS more accurate than GPS?
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In mapped environments, Niantic Spatial VPS can provide near centimeter-level 6DoF localization, while GPS typically provides meter-scale positioning in favorable conditions. In areas without a VPS map, VPS 2.0 provides broader 3DoF position and heading and can improve on GPS by helping correct drift and signal dropout. Precision therefore depends on the available map, localization mode, and environment.
How does visual positioning work?
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A device sends camera frames and basic sensor data to a localization service, which matches the observed scene against available visual maps and other location signals. Niantic Spatial VPS then returns a pose, which is the device’s position and orientation. Depending on the environment, the system can use private or public visual maps, GPS, compass, and other signals to select the best available localization result.
What is the difference between 3DoF and 6DoF localization?
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3DoF localization provides two-dimensional position and heading. 6DoF adds full spatial orientation (pitch, roll, and yaw or heading) along with position. That additional orientation is what enables applications to place and lock content precisely on real-world surfaces. Niantic Spatial VPS supports both modes, with 3DoF suited to broad position-and-heading experiences and 6DoF suited to precise spatial anchoring and navigation.
Does VPS require pre-scanning?
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Not always. VPS 2.0 provides broad baseline coverage without requiring every location to be pre-scanned, while mapped environments can support higher-precision 6DoF localization. Organizations can also use Niantic Spatial Capture, Scaniverse, private mapping, or BYOD workflows to create and maintain maps for specific indoor and outdoor sites. The appropriate path depends on the required coverage, precision, and control over the environment.
Can VPS work in GPS-denied or private environments?
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Yes. Niantic Spatial VPS is designed to provide positioning in GPS-compromised environments, including mapped indoor and outdoor locations. For controlled or sensitive sites, organizations can bring their own data, create access-restricted private maps, retain data ownership, and manage who can view, edit, or localize within specific areas. VPS can also switch between available public and private maps as conditions change.
What can enterprises use VPS for?
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Enterprises can use VPS to give robots, drones, vehicles, headsets, and field teams reliable position and orientation in complex environments. Niantic Spatial highlights robotics and autonomy, defense, and intelligent field operations, including navigation, situational awareness, logistics, inspection, and decision-making. The same localization foundation can support AR and spatial applications that need to understand where a device is and which way it is oriented.