Apple begins labeling Apple Maps camera vans in US, UK

The good news is that Apple is now labeling the camera-laden SUVs that may or may not be taking a picture of your house.

Weeks after confirming the existence of the vans, the minivans now sport a simple “Apple Maps” decal along the rear quarter panels, with the address of Apple’s Maps microsite below. Both decals appear to be set in Myriad, Apple’s marketing typeface of choice for years.

Apple has stated that data collected “will be used to improve Apple Maps,” and provides an up-to-date list of locales where data will be collected in the immediate future.

When the vans first appeared in February of this year, many believed they were acting as testbeds for a secretive Apple autonomous vehicle project. Instead, the vans are designed to collect detailed three-dimensional mapping data that will likely be used to improve Apple’s 3D Flyover feature with new capabilities akin to Google’s Street View. Apple has continued to invest in new technology for Maps in recent months, acquiring high-accuracy GPS firm Coherent Navigation and augmented reality company Metaio in May.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider