Crowd Sourcing in Action

**optikalefx** · 09-10-2009, 06:17 PM

If you have never heard of crowd sourced maps, checkout our previous blog post here or an example of a growing Philippine map in timelapse.
At Nokia world 2009, Navteq announced they will be crowdosourcing map, routing, and traffic data. Twice has a good overview. Also see a recent Google's blog entry about google's crowd sourcing strategy.
jKontherun reports that iphone users can utilize but aren't contributing to Google's arterial data. Google was quoted as saying “The Google Maps application that comes pre-installed on the iPhone can display live traffic, but Apple devices do not participate in the traffic crowdsourcing.”
Talk about this on our forums

**tripzero** · 09-16-2009, 08:55 PM

As someone who has actually been in Angeles, the map is still missing about a bazillion mini streets that go in everydirection :P.

It's cool to see what they are doing to grow the maps though. I'd love to see OSM produce more automated tools to help in this effort...

**justchat_1** · 09-16-2009, 09:07 PM

I'd love to see OSM start tagging towns/cities so the data is actually usable in routing.....

but cool stuff - the potential to gather a lot of data pretty quickly is definitly there if you harness devices like the iPhone.

**optikalefx** · 09-18-2009, 02:03 AM

Have you read about Waze for iPhone? Its in the appstore and when its running, it records your map data. It also will use your speed and the average speed to determine if there is traffic, all done live. But of course it has so few users its hardly useful yet.

**Bugbyte** · 09-18-2009, 09:11 AM

I saw that app but I'm not comfortable with them not giving access to the data so I don't want to help them.

They need a model that encourages you to participate without helping them build a proprietary database.

**optikalefx** · 09-19-2009, 01:51 AM

Are you sure about that? They already have the app open source, if that's the case couldn't you just grab the data that way? Maybe they just don't make it easy?

**justchat_1** · 09-19-2009, 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by optikalefx

Are you sure about that? They already have the app open source, if that's the case couldn't you just grab the data that way? Maybe they just don't make it easy?

The app being open source and the database where the data is stored are two different things. Not familiar with the app - just throwing that out there.

**Heather** · 09-22-2009, 01:41 PM

Maybe it would be good to clarify what is open and what is not.
I doubt their map data is open - and this is why mp3Car needs to be doing a crowd source mapping project.

**optikalefx** · 09-23-2009, 11:17 PM

The content on the Waze Service, including without limitation, the maps, map data, routes, text, graphics, skins, icons, photos, traffic reports and User Submissions ("Content") and the trademarks and logos ("Marks"), are owned by or licensed to Waze.

The tools and the application are open, but the map data and routing engine are not.