VTLUUG OpenStreetMap Mapathon:2015-05-06
Contents
Date, Time and Location
- Date: Wednesday May 6th
- Time: 6pm - 9pm
- Location: McBryde East entrance
- This event will be held rain or shine
What we will be doing
We will be working to update the OpenStreeMap of the Virginia Tech campus. If you would like to know more about what OpenStreetMap is, you can read more here and here. You can view the current OpenStreetMap of the campus here.
This mapathon, along with updating some clearly out of data construction areas, will have a Hokie Privacy theme.
Goals
- Document locations of surveillance camera locations
- Update the construction area on Perry St.
- Document locations of any sensors designed for surveillance
- Document locations of new trash cans and bike racks etc around campus
What you will need
- Yourself (required)
- Pen or pencil (Should have extras on hand)
- GPS enabled smartphone or any handheld GPS unit (optional, but encouraged)
- Handheld radio (only if you are a licensed ham operator, optional)
- Notebook, clipboard or device for taking notes (optional)
- If you want to update roads or paths, a bike or car (optional)
Recording data
Primarily, there will be two ways we take data:
- Walking papers (will be provided, can be viewed here)
- Recorded GPS data
Walking papers
These are pretty simple to use. At the event, you will be given walking papers of the areas you (or your team) are going to be mapping. You do not have to print these yourself. Simply draw anything not on the map that you think should be (bike racks, trash or recycling bins, security cameras, blue light phones etc). You can also draw in new paths, although if possible supplement this with a GPS track. At the end of the day, you will return your walking papers and VTLUUG and the data will be processed at future meetings. One limitation is that not everything is rendered on walking papers (one notable example of this is surveillance cameras are not on our walking papers). If you see something, record it, and we can sort it out later.
Recorded GPS data
There are several ways to take GPS tracks with phones (see choices here or handheld GPS units. Even if your device cannot take tracks, using geotagged photos or an app to get GPS coordinates will work for many things. GPS tracks are good for recording new paths, roads etc. Simply start taking data, walk, drive or bike the new path, road etc, and record the name of the track and maybe a rough sketch of where it is on your walking papers. You can also take one track of your entire trip, and annotate the beginning and of the new area. If you see an interesting object, you can either take a geotagged photo of it, or use a handheld GPS unit to get the coordinates and write it down on your walking papers, with notes about what it is.