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The Accuracy of Online Maps

posted by Satri on Thursday August 31, @11:22AM   Printer-friendly   Email story  Permalink  Trackback URI  Slashdotthis  Diggthis  Del.icio.us
from the salvaging-local-knowledge dept.
Web Mapping
The Cartography blog compares online maps and access their accuracy. After discouraging results, it is said: "All of this suggests that local knowledge can’t be beat which is why, perhaps, TeleAtlas has initiated an online map feedback tool to elicit such knowledge from its users. How will they determine what information they receive is correct and what is chaff sown by nasty competitors? It will be interesting to watch what happens - and if Navteq picks ups on a similar approach."

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Testing Online Mapping Sites 3 comments [+]
geognerd writes "CNet decided to test the accuracy of directions and drive-times from Yahoo, Google, MSN, and MapQuest maps. A cab driver was thrown in for good measure. From the article: "So it looks like Yahoo's directions were pokey, and MSN's, near as I can figure, would have had me jumping a divider." "
Application Domains: Reliable Directions and Data Sources 1 comment [+]
dct writes "NPR runs this story on inaccuracies (though they are apparently few) of major web mapping sites when giving direction because they depend on a single data provider. From the article: "A test of two other main map services besides MapQuest, Yahoo and Google, shows that all of them try to send drivers up the stairs. Since they all rely on the same road database company, NAVTEQ, for their road databases, the problem is duplicated on all the map sites.""
Application Domains: Satellite Navigation Sends Drivers Over Cliff [+]
redgeographics writes "According to this BBC article, drivers following satellite navigation systems through a village called Crackpot in North Yorkshire have been directed along a track at the edge of a 100ft cliff. The article mentions that one company supplying data for these navigation systems has already removed the offending road." This story is discussed by Slashdot. See also previously covered related stories below about other dangers of in-car navigation.
Application Domains: TeleAtlas Changes Its Data Collection Strategy [+]
The Map Room and All Points Blog links to a Wired article on TeleAtlas and NAVTEQ data collection strategies. From the article: "Next, GDT acquired detailed aerial photography of major cities. "We could look at a street and see which way cars were parked, even tire rubber going into intersections, and deduce 85 percent of the turn restrictions and one-way attributes," Cooke says. Some state transportation departments offered video footage of their streets to GDT, and Cooke's employees would fast-forward through hours of tape, noting every road sign. Impressed by how much faster and cheaper maps could be updated with this approach, Tele Atlas, a Belgium-based company, bought GDT for $100 million in 2004." On this previous story, we learned Tele Atlas wants to benefit from customer feedback to improve maps.
Industry: NAVTEQ vs TeleAtlas 2 comments [+]
The Map Room links to a GPS Review article about a comparison of NAVTEQ and TeleAtlas, the two main rivals in road databases. The article's conclusion: "So would I now recommend Tele Atlas maps over NAVTEQ in the USA? Not necessarily. I’m keeping my prior position that the map vendor isn’t currently something that should be a big consideration when looking to purchase a GPS device in the USA. If these results are representative of the entire database the difference between them would only amount to finding less than a dozen more addresses in a year, navigating to a new address every day."
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  • Navteq Accepts Feedback

    (Score:3, Informative)
    by geognerd (63) on Thursday August 31, @05:36PM (#953)
    They've had a system for at least several months. Here [navteq.com] you can submit map feedback, commenting on what's wrong or missing from a map. I did this about 3 months ago. A few days ago I got an e-mail saying they have added the neighborhood I said was missing from their dataset. NAVTEQ also lets you check the status [navteq.com] of your feedback submission.

  • Why bother?

    (Score:3, Insightful)
    by belg4mit (226) on Thursday August 31, @10:45PM (#954)
    ( http://pthbb.org/ )
    Why would you contribute to a commerical product for free? If Encarta were a for-fee wiki would you contribute? Sure, it might make sense for municipalities to contribute if it gets them accurate data or a discount but anyone else?
    --
    In Bob we trust, all others bring data.

    • Re:Why bother?

      (Score:3)
      by Satri (3) on Friday September 01, @12:17AM (#955)
      ( http://alexandreleroux.blogspot.com/ | Last Journal: Friday March 17, @05:07PM )
      "Why would you contribute to a commerical product for free?"

      Because it's there? People contribute to Google Earth through KML, Placemarks, Sketch-up models, but people don't contribute as much to NASA World Wind. Why? Recognition. Popularity. Feeling of being useful. Etc.

      The feeling of improving something is a good feeling. That's why someone using such a commercial service may want to improve it. Not everybody knows about OpenStreetMap. Not everybody cares about OpenStreetMap.

      There are numerous possiblities. There is infinite possibilites. Life is full of surprises.
      [ Parent ]

      • Re:Why bother?

        (Score:3, Interesting)
        by belg4mit (226) on Friday September 01, @12:28AM (#956)
        ( http://pthbb.org/ )
        No no, that's a false analogy. Google Earth is (also) free. It also happens to be more "user friendly".
        --
        In Bob we trust, all others bring data.
        [ Parent ]

        • Re:Why bother?

          (Score:3)
          by Satri (3) on Friday September 01, @07:18AM (#958)
          ( http://alexandreleroux.blogspot.com/ | Last Journal: Friday March 17, @05:07PM )
          Right, add user-friendliness to the list of reasons why someone might contribute to a commercial product for free. What's the false analogy? My point simply is, answering to your question, that there are numerous reasons why someone may want to cotribute to commercial products, even when there are open alternatives.
          [ Parent ]

          • Re:Why bother?

            (Score:3)
            by belg4mit (226) on Friday September 01, @09:14AM (#959)
            ( http://pthbb.org/ )
            No, it's not an answer though because my point was: why contribute to a for-fee product, as a lowly (paying) end-user?
            --
            In Bob we trust, all others bring data.
            [ Parent ]

          • Re:Why bother?

            (Score:4, Informative)
            by geognerd (63) on Friday September 01, @04:06PM (#960)
            I contributed to NAVTEQ because I got sick of looking at a map that was missing a 6-yr-old neighborhood. The only database I know of that has street data for this neighborhood is my county's GIS. I also happen to be in the State of Illinois, whose Department of Transportation signed an agreement with NAVTEQ [esri.com] making the NAVTEQ/IDOT road data available to governmental agencies in the state. I've filled out an application with the Illinois GIS Transportation Coalition [state.il.us] to try and get this data for my agency. So by submitting an error/omission report, I'm helping myself and other GIS users. Not to mention Joe Sixpack using MapQuest.
            [ Parent ]

  • Tomtom

    (Score:2, Informative)
    by de_valentin (239) on Friday September 01, @02:40AM (#957)
    ( http://www.vandemska.demon.nl/ )
    There is a very good reason tomtom is the biggest in the Netherlands and starting to grow rapidly in for instance, the US (they have 2nd largest marketshare, within a year from 8% to 22% or 25%) I am not sure whose maps they use but the real strongpoint in their navigational system is they do drive al the roads and time their drives etc. its very timeconsuming but its worth it because it makes sure that there are less errors in "their" maps. Also that means that there is less need for outsider help.

    • Re:Tomtom

      (Score:3, Informative)
      by jeg (695) on Friday September 08, @08:18AM (#972)
      Tom Tom uses Navteq and TA maps. Although they started with TA, they have now their Tom Tom Rider product powered with Navteq and new Tom Tom products will be based on Navteq. Bad for TA. Tom Tom does not drive the roads. TA and Navteq do although differently. TA records images and send them to India while Navteq uses local people to update maps. So trust them to improve the maps. Also, beforing complaining about map quality check the release date of your DB. 30% of such a DB is changed every year.
      [ Parent ]