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E. Eros
The team developed an online tracking tool and API that compiles stats and metrics
for each Missing Maps volunteer, which feeds into user profile webpages with badges
for different achievements and “levels” the mapper has reached.
2 In addition, the
tracking tool may help the Missing Maps team to identify dedicated and experienced
remote volunteers who may be interested in hosting their own mapping events in
their communities in the future.
A combination of high- and low-tech tools facilitate field mapping. The team’s
primary tool is OpenMapKit,
3 an Android app the American Red Cross developed
that enables a user to pre-download the OSM map of an area, shows the user’s
location, and enables him/her to simply tap on a building or feature in order to
add information about it. When an object is tapped, a brief set of questions will
appear, asking the user what sort of object this is (e.g., school, residential building,
health facility) and for any other relevant information. These fields are determined
based on community priorities and created at the outset of the mapping project,
using OpenDataKit forms. Volunteers upload their mapping results from the mobile
devices, and the data are added to OSM, where staff review the additions for quality
control. Teams can easily map thousands of buildings in a week using this method.
When the use of mobile phones presents security concerns, or other factors necessitate an alternative method, the American Red Cross uses paper-based mapping
tools (such as Field Papers, a tool which enables users to print map pages for an area,
annotate the pages by hand, and then scan/edit/upload the annotated information to
OpenStreetMap). These tools are freely available and easy to use.
In addition, the American Red Cross developed new tools to facilitate OSM editing in areas with unreliable connectivity. Humanitarians, in general, have become
increasingly reliant on cloud-based tools for use in increasingly remote areas. For
mapping projects specifically, users previously needed an Internet connection to use
OpenMapKit in order to download map areas at the beginning of a project, and then
to upload data into OSM at the end of each day. Field Papers also requires an Internet
connection to prepare map atlases. Reliable Internet access on a daily basis is not
realistic for many areas in which the Red Cross and other humanitarians work.
With this in mind, the American Red Cross created a new tool: Portable OSM
(POSM). POSM combines an offline OSM API, Field Papers, OpenMapKit, a captive
portal, and many new enhancements to the OSM workflow. POSM runs on very inexpensive hardware (costing roughly $300 USD) and free, openly available software.
With POSM, users are able to download all necessary files for an area of interest,
easily configure the portable server, work offline in the field (using OpenMapKit,
OpenDataKit, iD Editor, JOSM, and OpenDroneMap), and then return to a connected
environment and sync all changes back to OpenStreetMap. With this new technology, users can conduct mapping or mobile data collection fieldwork for upwards of
a month at a time without connecting to the Internet. User-friendly documentation
is available at the POSM website
4 and full source code is available online.
2 Available at http://missingmaps.org/users.
3 Available at http://www.openmapkit.org.
4 Available at http://www.posm.io.
E. Eros
The team developed an online tracking tool and API that compiles stats and metrics
for each Missing Maps volunteer, which feeds into user profile webpages with badges
for different achievements and “levels” the mapper has reached.
2 In addition, the
tracking tool may help the Missing Maps team to identify dedicated and experienced
remote volunteers who may be interested in hosting their own mapping events in
their communities in the future.
A combination of high- and low-tech tools facilitate field mapping. The team’s
primary tool is OpenMapKit,
3 an Android app the American Red Cross developed
that enables a user to pre-download the OSM map of an area, shows the user’s
location, and enables him/her to simply tap on a building or feature in order to
add information about it. When an object is tapped, a brief set of questions will
appear, asking the user what sort of object this is (e.g., school, residential building,
health facility) and for any other relevant information. These fields are determined
based on community priorities and created at the outset of the mapping project,
using OpenDataKit forms. Volunteers upload their mapping results from the mobile
devices, and the data are added to OSM, where staff review the additions for quality
control. Teams can easily map thousands of buildings in a week using this method.
When the use of mobile phones presents security concerns, or other factors necessitate an alternative method, the American Red Cross uses paper-based mapping
tools (such as Field Papers, a tool which enables users to print map pages for an area,
annotate the pages by hand, and then scan/edit/upload the annotated information to
OpenStreetMap). These tools are freely available and easy to use.
In addition, the American Red Cross developed new tools to facilitate OSM editing in areas with unreliable connectivity. Humanitarians, in general, have become
increasingly reliant on cloud-based tools for use in increasingly remote areas. For
mapping projects specifically, users previously needed an Internet connection to use
OpenMapKit in order to download map areas at the beginning of a project, and then
to upload data into OSM at the end of each day. Field Papers also requires an Internet
connection to prepare map atlases. Reliable Internet access on a daily basis is not
realistic for many areas in which the Red Cross and other humanitarians work.
With this in mind, the American Red Cross created a new tool: Portable OSM
(POSM). POSM combines an offline OSM API, Field Papers, OpenMapKit, a captive
portal, and many new enhancements to the OSM workflow. POSM runs on very inexpensive hardware (costing roughly $300 USD) and free, openly available software.
With POSM, users are able to download all necessary files for an area of interest,
easily configure the portable server, work offline in the field (using OpenMapKit,
OpenDataKit, iD Editor, JOSM, and OpenDroneMap), and then return to a connected
environment and sync all changes back to OpenStreetMap. With this new technology, users can conduct mapping or mobile data collection fieldwork for upwards of
a month at a time without connecting to the Internet. User-friendly documentation
is available at the POSM website
4 and full source code is available online.
2 Available at http://missingmaps.org/users.
3 Available at http://www.openmapkit.org.
4 Available at http://www.posm.io.