Apple Maps is scoping out Metro Vancouver this summer

If you see someone driving around in an Apple Maps car in Vancouver, then say cheese!

Apple Maps will be hitting the pavement across Canada to gather on-the-ground images for its Look Around feature, deploying image-collecting backpacks and vehicles to scope out the city.

The company announced it would be in several Canadian locations, including Metro Vancouver, conducting ground surveys this summer.

Apple Maps. Building the best digital map for Canada.

— Apple (@Apple) August 4, 2022

According to Apple, staff is in pursuit of “building the best digital map for Canada.”

Apple explains on its Apple Maps Image Collection page that it will censor faces and licence plates on images published in Look Around.

Equipment-filled vehicles will explore Vancouver’s streets, and specially-equipped backpacks will be used to gather info about pedestrian-only areas.

#Apple Maps spotted mapping Milan, Italy with a specialized backpack. pic.twitter.com/1bVW6BtlYG

— Ryan Zohoury (@RyanZohoury) June 23, 2022

“These pedestrian surveys allow us to improve and update Apple Maps in areas where vehicles simply can’t go while using the same privacy protections as the Apple Maps vehicles,” said Apple.

Here’s a map of where it will be gathering pedestrian data in Vancouver:

Apple Maps

In Vancouver, it looks like they’ll use backpacks to collect info about the city’s parks and pedestrian walkways like the Seawall and the Arbutus Greenway.

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Apple Maps will be gathering data from August 8 to September 30, and it’s not just heading to the city, either. Its vehicles plan to explore many locations in BC, from the Fraser Valley to the Northern Rockies.

For more information on Apple Maps’ image collection and how you can protect your privacy, you can visit the website.

And if you see one of its cars or backpacks this summer, then wave hello!