
OpenStreetCam sign detection code and training data open sourced - mvexel
https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/mvexel/diary/43942
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doctoboggan
Very interesting, but unfortunately the one example they pulled was incorrect.
If you look at the street sign is says "Exit | 45 mph", which means this is
the speed limit when taking the exit. The captured example looses this
information.

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mikestew
_which means this is the speed limit when taking the exit._

And it's not even the speed _limit_ , it's the recommended speed for that
exit. IOW, go as fast as you like, right up to the posted speed limit, but if
you're a tall semi hauling a load it is recommended that you slow to the speed
posted on the yellow sign. But I digress...

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advisory_speed_limit#Signage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advisory_speed_limit#Signage)

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Doctor_Fegg
This is really promising, especially:

> Finally: we do not have any plans to automatically add any of this detected
> information to OSM. Any improvements will always be made manually by mappers
> through the existing JOSM plugin, iD integration (coming) and MapRoulette.

This points the way forward for OSM. OSM is a human map made from user
contributions - the collected set of users' enthusiasms. That's what
differentiates it from other maps. But that shouldn't mean that mapping should
be a laborious process. The more innovations like this that remove the
gruntwork from mapping, the better. (Same applies to recognising geometries
from imagery and sensor data, etc.)

~~~
cup-of-tea
Couldn't agree more. One of the most startling things for me while mapping is
just how different things can be when you're actually on the ground and armed
with local knowledge compared to looking at some satellite imagery, streetview
imagery or similar. It's totally obvious why any map that is automatically
derived from relatively low resolution data will necessarily contain mistakes.

A map is one of the oldest forms of written communication. Some people think
maps came before written language and as such are an intrinsic part of what it
means to be human. Just think of the amount of information being conveyed by a
map! We don't accept computers making other written works, why accept
computers making our maps?

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mytdi
Have been an Openstreemaps contributor for some years (not very active), but I
did not heard about Openstreetcam. Interesting!

