Niantic Spatial, the U.S. spatial-computing firm spun out of Pokémon Go developer Niantic, and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) will jointly study the feasibility of building Singapore’s first citywide visual positioning system,

In a statement on Monday, Niantic Spatial said the two sides have   signed a memorandum of understanding for the move. The technology can let robots and machines pinpoint their location using cameras and mapping data in places with weak satellite signals. No financial terms were disclosed.

A visual positioning system estimates a device’s position and orientation by matching camera images against detailed maps. It can become more precise than GPS in dense urban areas, indoors, and other settings with obstructed satellite signals, according to Niantic Spatial. The study will test the approach across Singapore’s built-up landscape.

Under the arrangement, the SLA would supply national geospatial data, including high-resolution aerial imagery, and nationwide 3D point clouds. Niantic Spatial would apply its positioning technology, built on a geospatial AI model.

Applications may expand to autonomous navigation and robotics, urban planning and city operations, emergency response and public safety, and location-based digital services. The work can operate as a pilot and a step toward more precise location services for smart-city and AI uses.

Inhi Cho Suh, chief executive of Niantic Spatial, said the pilot tests turning Singapore’s geospatial data into “infrastructure machines can use to navigate safely,” without scanning the city street by street.

Calvin Phua, chief executive of the SLA, said pairing the agency’s datasets with advanced positioning technology could support new applications and deliver practical benefits.

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