• PA Newsletter
  • Posts
  • How Pokémon Go Players Are Helping Train Robots

How Pokémon Go Players Are Helping Train Robots

What began as a mobile game has evolved into a massive visual dataset for robotic navigation and spatial AI.

Author

Yagmur Baydır
March 16, 2026

Dear PA reader,

In an unexpected twist of digital culture and robotics, researchers are now using behavioral data from Pokémon Go players to help train autonomous robots, turning millions of human navigation patterns into valuable datasets for machine learning. In Kazakhstan, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has revealed a new tower complex in Alatau that combines high-density urban living with landscaped public realms. Meanwhile, Marc Fornes / Theverymany’s Lille Folie Pavilion transforms computational design into an intricate aluminum installation.

Google is introducing “Ask Maps,” a new AI-powered feature designed to enable more intuitive navigation and immersive 3D exploration within Google Maps. In Greece, 314 Architecture Studio’s Metamorphosis Winery is embedded within the vineyard landscape, its planted roof allowing the building to merge with the terrain while referencing ancient Mycenaean forms. And In Brisbane, Snøhetta’s Glasshouse Theatre adds a new glass-clad performance venue to the South Bank cultural precinct.

🚀 If you are looking to learn about computational design, PAACADEMY offers everything you need under one Full-Access membership. Be sure to check it out!

The 30-Billion-Image Dataset Built by Pokémon Go Players Is Now Training Robots

SOM Designs 272-Metre Tower Complex for the New City of Alatau, Kazakhstan

L’île Folie Pavilion by Marc Fornes / THEVERYMANY

Google Maps Gets Major AI Upgrade with Ask Maps and 3D Navigation Features

3D-Printed Wall Systems

This workshop focuses on the design of bespoke, production-ready interior wall systems. Participants will investigate how a simple 2D concept can be translated into a fully articulated 3D textured surface through algorithmic logic. The workshop is scheduled for April 18 & 19, 2026.

Reverse Engineering with AI

This workshop uses reverse thinking to turn AI visuals into ideas, sketches, 3D models, and animations. The workshop is scheduled for March 21, 2026.

314 Architecture Studio’s Metamorphosis Winery Rises as a Celestial Form

Snøhetta and Blight Rayner Unveil Glasshouse Theatre in Brisbane with Rippling Glass Façade

KJ Den Haag by Powerhouse Company: The Hague’s New Gateway

14 Key Projects by Smiljan Radić Clarke, 2026 Pritzker Prize Winner