[Talk-ug] Mapping Research Project Uganda

[David Luswata]

Looping in @Allan Mbabani <mbabani890 at gmail.com>'s functional email.

On Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 10:19 AM David Luswata <lusdavo at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Kirsty,
>
> Thank you very much for reaching out and letting the OSM Uganda community
> know about your project and work in Nothern Uganda. It's great knowing
> you've been mapping in northern Uganda over the last 5 years, and working
> closely with Gulu University. OSM Uganda has collaborated with Gulu
> University in the past. I've used POSM quite a lot in the past, interested
> in hearing more about your experience using it as well as if you think
> there are any improvements that can be or need to be made.
>
> Great learning about your tool (Centaur VGI) and its capabilities in
> advancing remote mapping. I am taking an in-depth look and will circle back
> with comments or questions for further discussion. I look forward to
> hearing more feedback from members on this mailing list about your tools as
> well.
>
> Let me also take this chance to introduce to you @Mbabani Allan
> <mbabani.allan at gmail.com>, Executive Director of OSM Uganda. Allan will
> reach out to explore more collaborations between your project and OSM
> Uganda.
>
> Kind regards,
> David Luswata,
> Board Member - OSM Uganda.
>
> On Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 12:06 AM Kirsty Watkinson <
> kirsty.watkinson at manchester.ac.uk> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>>
>>
>> My name is Kirsty Watkinson and I am a PhD student at the University of
>> Manchester in the UK. I have been an active mapper on OpenStreetMap
>> since around 2017. I am currently completing a PhD looking at the
>> production of volunteered geographic information in support of humanitarian
>> response and how we can increase data production in rural areas.
>>
>>
>>
>> I am also involved with a project called Community Mapping Uganda
>> <https://communitymapping.org/> (formerly known as ‘Huckathon’) which
>> has been mapping Northern Uganda on OSM for 5 years to support
>> humanitarian work in the region. Specifically, our mapping activity supports
>> the provision of prosthetic limbs to people living in the region who have
>> experienced major limb loss. Community Mapping Uganda is a collaboration
>> between the University of Manchester (UK) and Gulu University (Uganda).
>> We organise mapathons in the UK which involves a range of different people,
>> including staff and students at University of Manchester, alumni of the
>> University, school groups and members of the general public who remotely
>> map buildings and roads. Local volunteers in Uganda (via the University
>> of Gulu) then verify the data, add building names, type, street names,
>> add extra detail that remote mappers can't see using offline POSM
>> <https://github.com/posm/posm> devices, though our work has been
>> severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
>>
>>
>>
>> As part of my PhD, I have developed a prototype mapping tool which integrates
>> machine learning data into the mapping process, in order to try and help
>> speed up mapping, particularly for first time or novice mappers. The
>> tool presents volunteers with an outline of a building generated by a
>> machine learning algorithm (a ML-generated dataset produced by Microsoft
>> in this case) and the volunteer has to approve, edit or reject it. The
>> tool uploads data directly to OSM after it has been verified by the
>> volunteers (so no data is uploaded without manual verification). Checks
>> are performed beforehand to make sure it does not conflict with existing
>> data on OSM and existing OSM data is also presented on the tool so the
>> volunteers can see what is already mapped. You can read about the theory
>> behind the tool and a more detailed explanation about the motivation behind
>> the tool here:
>> https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/161307423/_Centaur_VGI.pdf
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> We have been testing the tool with UK-based remote volunteers and have found
>> that it helps to make mapping easier, speed up mapping and can even help to
>> improve the quality of mapping, especially for people who are mapping for
>> the first time. I am also looking at using gamification to try and help to
>> engage volunteer mappers for longer to help sustain data production in the
>> Acholi region.
>>
>>
>>
>> Our hope by completing this research is to help increase the amount and
>> quality of data production in the region and with refinement of the tool
>> (editing capabilities and extra motivational features), provide a way for
>> new volunteers to get involved in mapping, learn the basic skills for
>> mapping and then move onto to other platforms. The website address is as
>> follows in case you would like to have a go with the tool:
>> http://centaur.communitymapping.org/home.html .
>>
>>
>>
>> Any feedback on how to improve the tool would be truly valued.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you very much for your time,
>>
>>
>>
>> Kirsty Watkinson
>>
>>
>> *Kirsty Watkinson | PhD Researcher in Physical Geography*
>>
>> *Pronouns: She/Her *
>> School of Education, Environment and Development | University of
>> Manchester |
>> Mapping: Culture and GIScience (MCGIS) Research Group
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
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