Building a Shared 3D World From Street Level
Imagine exploring the ancient ruins of Stonehenge from your living room, or taking a virtual stroll through a bustling marketplace in Tokyo—all without leaving your house. This is the vision behind Scaniverse, an ambitious project that lets anyone capture and share 3D scans of the world, creating a collaborative, interactive map accessible to all.
Bringing the World into Focus: 3D Mapping Powered By the Community
Creating a “playable world” starts with gathering 3D imagery. Since launching a global map for iOS devices in August, thousands of people across over 100 countries have used Scaniverse to post 3D models of fascinating places, from well-known landmarks to hidden local gems. These contributions aren’t just visually stunning—they form the building blocks for future immersive experiences. Niantic and developers worldwide are already using these scans to create interactive games and applications that redefine how we interact with the world around us.
Every scan submitted to the Scaniverse map plays a role in building this global 3D atlas. It contributes to the Visual Positioning System (VPS), a technology that uses 3D landmarks to help devices understand their location and orientation in the real world. As more people scan and share, the VPS becomes increasingly accurate and robust, enabling richer and more immersive experiences.
Into the Scaniverse: A WebXR Journey
The Scaniverse project recently hit a major milestone with the launch of Into the Scaniverse, a groundbreaking web application that lets you explore the world of user-generated 3D models on Meta Quest. This immersive WebXR experience brings the power of Scaniverse to the virtual reality realm, allowing you to explore 3D splats (Scaniverse’s unique 3D representations) in a truly interactive way.
The process is seamlessly simple: scan a location on your iOS device, process it with the app, and then view it in Into the Scaniverse directly on your Meta Quest headset. The experience is incredibly responsive; as you turn your head and move your body, the 3D environment reacts in real-time, immersing you in the scanned environment. Think of it as a global treasure hunt where each discovery is a 3D model waiting to be explored.
Into the Scaniverse is still in beta, but it offers a glimpse into the amazing possibilities of WebXR technology. Niantic Studio, the open-source engine powering this experience, allows developers to build upon this foundation, creating unique WebXR experiences that leverage the Scaniverse world.
Expanding the Scaniverse Universe: Android Arrives and More Languages Do Too
Niantic understands that accessibility is crucial, which is why they’ve released Scaniverse 4.0 for Android. Now, Android users have the same free access to the global map, allowing them to scan, explore, and share 3D models— essentially leveling the playing field. This update also brings the Discover Feed to Android, allowing users to teleport to breathtaking destinations around the world with a simple swipe.
Diversity is also a core value for Scaniverse, so the team is working to make the app more inclusive.
Starting with Japanese and German, Scaniverse is being translated to reach a wider international audience. While iOS is the focus for these initial languages, more language
