In 2016, the mobile game Pokmon Go sent hundreds of millions of players wandering the streets in search of virtual monsters. In the process it helped popularise augmented reality (AR) technology, which overlays computer-generated imagery on real-world environments.

Now Pokmon Go is set to take AR to a new level. A new feature within the game will encourage players to create and upload 3D scans of real-world locations.

The games developer Niantic also just acquired the AR maps start-up 6D.ai for an undisclosed sum. Chief executive Jon Hankeannouncedthe companies ambitions: "Together, were building a dynamic, 3D map of the world so we can enable new kinds of planet-scale AR experiences."

And its not just Niantic. In February, Facebookacquired Scape Technologies, an AR start-up that was creating a 3D map of the entire world, and Microsofts Minecraft Earth AR mobile game touts the same kind of planet-scale AR play.

These scans, and this type of data collection, will likely affect all of us in the near future.

One reason for Niantics huge success has been how it uses digital games to collect data about the world.

Niantic was initially formed asKeyhole Inc by John Hankein 2001 with backing from the CIAs tech venture capital firm, In-Q-Tel. The company developed mapping technologies used by the US military in the early 2000s.

Keyhole Inc was acquired by Google in 2004, and was instrumental the development of Google Maps. In 2010, Keyhole was rebranded as Niantic and focused on games. It stayed part of Google until 2015, when it became an independent company again.

In 2012 Niantic launched a game called Ingress, which saw players photograph and upload millions of locations of interest that became portals within the game.

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Why Pokmon Go's plan to 3D-scan the world is dangerous - News - The University of Sydney