Thousands of people just like you are helping to build a global map in 3D on Scaniverse, but in some parts of the world, the 2D maps are still lacking.

To create maps of vulnerable areas and accelerate humanitarian relief efforts after disasters worldwide, Niantic is donating up to $40,000 to OpenStreetMap’s Missing Maps project and you can help!

Scaniverse will donate $1 to Missing Maps for every one of these actions from October 30 to November 30, 2024, up to $30,000:

  • Posting a splat to the Scaniverse Map

  • Creating a post in the Scaniverse Community

  • Commenting on someone else’s post in the Scaniverse Community

No special registration, no limit per user. Any splat or community engagement unlocks $1. We'll look at the metrics and put on a dollar sign.

On top of that, we’ll add an unrestricted $10,000 donation to recognize all the great work of the OpenStreetMap Foundation and its global community.

Note: We don’t yet offer map integration on the Android app, but you can still participate. To share to the map, after processing your splat, go through the flow to upload for sharing and set a geolocation.

The future of 3D imagery

Don't just sit there, splat! Download the app, get some quick scanning tips, and go out into the world.

Still sitting? OK, here's a bit more about it.

Scaniverse uses a transformative technology called Gaussian splatting to create vibrant 3D photos entirely on your device. The light and detail captured in these splats give the objects you scan with your phone a lifelike quality far beyond what previous mesh technology produced, fully processed on your phone in just a few minutes. Put lots and lots of these together, and together we will build a 3D map of the world.

In addition to sharing these splats on the map—that’s what sends dollars to Missing Maps!—you can send links to friends, export them as cinematic videos, or bring them into other apps like Niantic Studio to make AR games.

Just one of the thousands of 3D Gaussian splats on the Scaniverse map

Today's critical need

Some communities, especially those most at risk of disaster, have little to no data on digital maps. OpenStreetMap’s Missing Maps provides the infrastructure and organization that allows the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap team on the ground, and volunteers around the world, to create high-quality maps of areas where humanitarian groups are operating.

Some of the positive impacts of better digital mapping include:

  • More effective disaster preparedness

  • Faster humanitarian responses

  • More expedient setting up medical operations

  • Increased understanding of a disaster’s real impact

  • And numerous others

Join this challenge to help raise $30,000 for OpenStreetMap’s Missing Map project and you’ll be among the first to contribute to a global spatial computing platform representing the real world in 3D, while supporting relief organizations’ mapping needs today. Start by downloading Scaniverse to your mobile device today—it's free for unlimited use.

Volunteers learning to map (courtesy of Missing Maps)

Splats and open mapping

We think 3D Gaussian splatting holds a lot of promise for establishing ground truth for open mapping, especially in places that are about to change or just recently changed due to disaster or other causes. One particular advantage to Scaniverse for humanitarian image capture is that it can process splats fully offline.

While we do have our own map, Scaniverse allows any user to export their 3D images for use elsewhere. In fact, we just open-sourced the SPZ format we developed that makes splats take up about 90% less space. We hope the open mapping movement finds useful ways to use it! If you have any questions, ideas, or just want to show off your latest splat, please join us on the Scaniverse Community.