We have to travel seven years into the past to find our first reference to OpenStreetMap, a kind of “Wikipedia of maps” in which anyone can participate. OpenStreetMap's maps have grown considerably in quantity and quality, but now the project announces OpenStreetView, a platform that will allow more direct collaboration by sharing images and videos from our routes, using open source apps compatible with iOS and Android.
Despite the occasional error, Google Maps is without a doubt “the” most advanced mapping solution on the Web, and with the help of Google Street View we have gotten to know regions that are directly inaccessible to most. Google offers several resources that allow incorporating its maps into a wide range of services, but that doesn't change the fact that we are dealing with a proprietary service, and any suggestion or edit made by the user can take weeks to be approved. Several times I tried to point out to Google Maps errors in the bus stops near where I live, however, on the third attempt with no response, I decided not to waste any more time. Those who want an alternative to Google Maps for technical or philosophical reasons should not forget that OpenStreetMap exists, something like a “Wikipedia of maps”. Many years of effort and global collaboration gave rise to very high-quality maps, but the project is ready to take the next step: OpenStreetView.
The next step for OpenStreetMap
If the name sounds similar to Google Street View, it's because they share the same goal, with the difference that OpenStreetView seeks to preserve the open and collaborative spirit that has placed OpenStreetMap in its current position. The platform has an official website (link at the end of the article), two open source apps compatible with iOS and Android, a specialized map editor, a plugin for the JOSM editor, and in the future it will add support for another important OpenStreetMap editor like iD. Those who want to start now need to know that OpenStreetMap and OpenStreetView accounts are linked, and everything that is stored is only the data that was declared public in OpenStreetMap. The apps are downloaded from the respective stores, although Android users can get the APK directly if they wish.
The recording of trips is shared (either manually or automatically) once the device connects to the Web via WiFi, but it is not mandatory to go by car; you can also record data while walking or riding a bicycle. The advanced option of OpenStreetView is to link the mobile app with a "Veepeak Mini OBD2 dongle", which has an average price of 20 euros. It is expected that in the future the list of compatible modules will be much larger, and even with that detail, OpenStreetView is already a fairly advanced project, without forgetting that it is virtually open source, and that the user is always in control of the data they decide to share.
