A partnership between two US tech firms is looking to put cutting-edge visual capabilities into aerial and ground platforms, giving them precise coordinates in environments where GPS fails.
Niantic Spatial, a San Francisco–based geospatial AI firm, joined forces with spatial intelligence company Vantor to deliver a unified positioning platform that fuses their core technologies.
For ground forces, Niantic enables visual localization by aligning live camera feeds against its extensive map library, calculating a soldier’s position and orientation based on what they see.
Vantor applies the same approach for aerial platforms, pulling data from onboard sensors and electro-optical/infrared cameras to match it with its high-resolution 3D environment models.
With both ground and air platforms looking at the same feed, military units can coordinate mission tactics in real-time without relying on GPS.
“By combining Niantic Spatial’s expertise in ground-based localization with Vantor’s proven aerial systems and global 3D foundation, we’re building an integrated positioning network that operates anywhere,” Niantic’s Chief Technology Officer Brian McClendon said.
Fusing Core Tech
Niantic’s visual positioning system can seamlessly switch between using public and private maps, while Vantor’s Raptor tech detects the position of aerial platforms with less than 7 meters (23 feet) of error.
Put together, the technologies allow a drone in the sky and a soldier on the ground to know where they are in real time even when GPS signals are blocked.
“Raptor powers GPS-independent autonomy in the air, and we’re partnering with Niantic Spatial to bring this capability to the ground,” Vantor’s Chief Product Officer Peter Wilczynski said.
“Together, we can connect any air- or ground-based camera feed to a unified view of the operational terrain for continuous operations.”
The unified tech is scheduled to be field tested by early 2026.
