Mapping startup Hivemapper will release a new dashcam later this year, set to disrupt the mapping industry and steal market share from Google.
The new Hivemapper Bee camera, unveiled on Wednesday, is a pivotal step in the company’s ongoing mission to revolutionize mapping by decentralizing and making map data more accessible and cost-effective. Additionally, Hivemapper aims to reach a wider range of customers, expanding beyond ride-hailing and delivery drivers to include corporate fleets. This will significantly boost the company’s ability to acquire fresher and more valuable mapping data.
The team behind Hivemapper has already made remarkable progress with data collected from its previous dashcam models, which are installed in thousands of ride-hailing and delivery vehicles. In just 16 months, the company’s dedicated contributors have mapped over 5 million miles (8 million kilometers) of roads worldwide. In comparison, it took Google significantly longer to reach the same milestone with Street View. According to Hivemapper, this achievement was accomplished four times faster than Google’s timeline. The company’s ambitious goal is to map 10 million kilometers by early 2024, a target they expect to reach in April.
The Hivemapper Bee camera is designed to be more hands-off and passive than its predecessors. It is built with weather-sealing and increased durability, allowing drivers to even mount it outside their vehicles if desired. Unlike previous models, the Bee does not require a connection to the Hivemapper smartphone app to upload footage to the company’s servers. Furthermore, the Bee utilizes on-device processing technology to enhance the captured data. These features make it a more attractive option for corporate fleet customers, according to Hivemapper CEO Ariel Seidman in an interview with TechCrunch.
Hivemapper also boasts several improvements in the Bee compared to its current cameras, including a larger GPS antenna for more precise positioning and the ability to shoot 4K footage at 30 frames per second. Pre-orders for the Bee start today, with shipping expected to begin in the third quarter of this year. The LTE version will retail for $549, while the WiFi-only variant will cost $449.
“Google can only refresh their maps once a year, once every couple of years,” states Gabe Nelson, Hivemapper’s head of operations, in an interview with TechCrunch. He explains that the high-tech and high-cost nature of Google’s vehicles limits the frequency of map updates. In contrast, Hivemapper’s community-sourced data can significantly expedite this process, “building up the raw materials of mapmaking at a much faster pace.” The company predicts that this pace will increase even more as they tackle a backorder list of over 15,000 customers and begin shipping the Bee.
However, Hivemapper’s primary goal is not just to map as many roads as possible. Their ultimate aim is frequency. As Seidman explains, “the holy grail is frequency.” He cites an example of Scottsdale, Arizona, where Hivemapper sees the same location 80-100 times a year, while Google might only encounter it once every 14-18 months.
This increased frequency does not only improve the quality of mapping data sold to customers; it also opens new business opportunities. Last year, Hivemapper launched Scout, a “location monitoring tool” that allows customers to mark a location and receive images every time a Hivemapper-equipped driver passes by. Customers can even offer a “bounty” for specific locations, incentivizing drivers to visit more frequently.
According to the company, the Bee benefits the customers of Hivemapper’s cameras as well. Contributors are compensated with a token called Honey, recently listed on Coinbase’s exchange. Hivemapper reports that the Bee will generate higher-quality data, resulting in less rejection upon submission. (Hivemapper allows individuals to perform quality assurance checks and labeling in exchange for Honey tokens, as well as utilizing artificial intelligence for some of these tasks.) Additionally, making the camera more autonomous, such as automatic data uploading, reduces the risk of contributors forgetting to do so themselves.
Of course, convincing people to contribute their data in exchange for tokens is not as simple now as it was during the short-lived web3 craze a few years ago. In an interview, Nelson admits that there are still plenty of individuals who are drawn to the concept of earning tokens. However, Hivemapper has shifted their focus to attracting customers for other reasons.
“We’ve really tried to say, if you’re a professional driver, such as an Uber, Lyft, or Amazon Flex driver, and you already need a dashcam for safety and other reasons, this is an excellent choice. Not only does it provide essential functions, but it also rewards you with a token.” Nelson continues, “For many of them, building something they can see themselves has been a positive experience.”
This sentiment is a step back from the company’s previous statements in 2022, boasting the token’s ability to create “loyalty” and “passion.” Nevertheless, it is an understandable shift.
“I think people deserve fair compensation for the data they contribute,” says Nelson. “However, especially in the case of a dashcam, there must be other valuable benefits for the driver beyond just receiving a token.”
