October 23rd, 2020
Hivemapper Builds Global Decentralized Mapping Network, Offers Cash for Aerial and Ground-Level 3D Video

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BURLINGAME, Calif.-Hivemapper, the company building an intelligent, global decentralized mapping network, today announced its Hivemapper Studio will now provide financial incentive to drone operators to get paid for flights that capture aerial 3D imagery. The mapmaker, which operates in 80+ countries, also announced the upcoming expansion of its collection model, which currently focuses on aerial images, to include capturing ground-level data via automobiles. Hivemapper will offer an OpenDashCam in the first half of 2021 so fleet and everyday drivers can passively collect data while driving and earn pocket cash.

“Currently, maps are expensive to produce and updates are infrequent. We believe there is enormous potential in mobilizing people to be a part of creating and continually updating a more dynamic, accurate global map,” said Ariel Seidman, founder and CEO of Hivemapper. “It’s as simple as mapping the world while you move about it – whether that is in your car on your morning commute or while you’re flying your drone. A crowdsourced map breaks us free from Big Tech control and the traditional way of mapping, to better serve and benefit everyone, particularly digitally-enabled companies that need accurate data to safely, sustainably and efficiently run their business.”

Increase Your Drone’s Earning Potential with Hivemapper Studio

Hivemapper Studio beta launched earlier this year and today the company is making the technology available to the general public at: https://studio.hivemapper.com. It is a one-stop-shop to plan, track and get paid for collecting maps for Hivemapper’s network of customers that rely on monitoring and change detection for navigation across the defense, supply chain and logistics, transportation, urban planning, utilities and insurance industries.

• Collect + Cash In: Our network of 9,000 contributors in 80+ countries use Hivemapper Studio, with their own commodity drones, to plan flights and automatically capture 3D video imagery along a particular route, road or pipeline to create a tile, representing 0.1 sq km. Collectors literally put their name on a global map as they get credit for tile collection and earn cash for every one they produce. Preferred locations – or, gold tiles – score $2 per tile. Silver tiles are priced at $.50 each.
• Update Faster + Cheaper: Hivemapper relies on the data received from this network of GIS enthusiasts and drone operators to constantly refresh the map. By eliminating the need for specialized fleets or satellites, the decentralized collection process not only makes the map 50x cheaper to build, it speeds up the process, with the global 3D map scaling and updating four times faster than traditional mapping companies. As change is detected, the map is automatically updated, resulting in more accurate, accessible location information.
• Clear + Realistic View: Hivemapper Studio was natively built for 3D data, so maps are visually crisper. Object classification techniques search and detect change and integrate with VR applications to recognize and distinguish images – buildings, trees, roadways and other structures. Hivemapper proprietary georegistration process assembles the tiles and pieces them together into a single, comprehensive global map. Today, Hivemapper collectors have inventoried nearly 9,000 sq km around the world, and the scale of the map is growing 50% month over month. For example, each week 250 sq km of tiles are uploaded, 2.5x the size of Paris. By the end of the year, 3,000 sq km tiles will be mapped every month, roughly the size of London and Bangkok combined.

With Hivemapper, businesses get more accurate data at lower costs. Defense and surveillance operators improve safety by visualizing the terrain and better identifying structures and other obstructions in conflict zones. Urbanization, climate change, autonomous transportation, and now pandemics are driving 15% of the global road network to change annually. Access to current details about ever-changing road clearance and pick-up and drop-off points enables supply chain efficiencies: routes can be streamlined for efficiency and sustainability. Infrastructure planning and operating can be protected and maintained with minimal downtime, 3D imagery of assets assists with safety protocols. The impact of natural disasters can be assessed and response plans are better informed.

Put Your Ride to Work with Upcoming Hivemapper OpenDashCam

Hivemapper will seamlessly combine ground data with aerial video with the introduction of OpenDashCam, which will be generally available in the first half of 2021.

Video collected at ground-level will enhance the richness of the data as it automatically classifies buildings, cars, terrain as well as determines slope and vertical clearance of roadways.

OpenDashCam will run in the background during drives, automatically transferring map videos and GPS data to Hivemapper, with precautions in place to protect public privacy. You can get on the Open Dashcam waitlist now.

Hivemapper was founded in 2015, by team members and advisors from Yahoo!, Intel, Google Earth, Palantir, and Mapbox. It is backed by venture investors including Spark Capital, GV, Founder Collective, and Harrison Metal.

About Hivemapper

Hivemapper is a decentralized mapping network that enables monitoring and autonomous navigation without the need for expensive sensors, aircraft, or satellites. Anyone with a video camera can quickly and easily build a smarter and fresher map. The map you build can live and grow alongside the maps of thousands of mapmakers, or keep your map private just for your team. You build it. You control it. For more information, go to: www.hivemapper.com