📖 History¶
How was Field-TM born?¶
It started as Ivan's idea to build Field-TM (Ivan Gayton is Senior Humanitarian Advisor at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team) which then became a collaborative project with the efforts of Ivan, Rob Savoye who is Senior Technical Lead at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team and many other members from HOT as well as volunteers interested in the project.
HOT uses ODK heavily, but most of the data never makes it into OSM because all the data processing is manual and slow, so it doesn't get done.
Ivan Gayton (Senior Humanitarian Advisor at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team) heard about what Rob was working on and goes "That's the missing piece I needed!". He'd been wanting to build Field-TM for years, but lacked the ability to process the data.
A webinar then took place in September 2022 that showcased the high interest from the community and the need for collaborative field mapping that really kicked off the starting point for building the Field Tasking Manager.
Want to know about OSM-Fieldwork project? click here
A project to provide tools for Open Mapping campaigns¶
The Field Tasking Manager (Field-TM) is a project that aims to provide tools for coordinating field mapping activities in Open Mapping campaigns. While there are existing field mapping applications, there is a lack of efficient tools to coordinate these activities. The Field-TM builds on the HOT Tasking Manager and other mapping applications to provide a more streamlined and organized process for completing mapping tasks.
Currently, it is possible to implement a Field Tasking Manager workflow using existing tools, but it requires significant effort and can be challenging.
The Field-TM project is developing automation features to address these challenges and make the process more accessible to users.
By providing a centralized platform for organizing and managing mapping tasks, assigning them to specific users, and tracking their progress, Field-TM aims to simplify the coordination of mapping activities. The tool also provides analytics and reporting features, allowing users to gain insights into mapping campaigns and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Background and description of the project and idea are here: please have a look at this blog if you haven't yet!
How to contribute¶
The Field-TM project is open source and community-driven, welcoming contributions from designers, user testers, and both front-end and back-end developers. If you're interested in getting involved, please see our contributor guidelines for more information. We welcome questions and feedback, so don't hesitate to reach out to us. 👍🎉
Using ODK's Select From Map feature¶
ODK's Select From Map feature is a useful tool for field mappers to collect data in a well-structured questionnaire format. The tool was incorporated into ODK in mid-2022 and allows mappers to select an object from a map, view its existing attributes, and fill out a form with new information and attributes.
To prepare map files for ODK, inspiration is taken from the HOT Tasking Manager, which allows remote mappers to choose well-defined small "task" areas, ensuring full coverage of the project area and no unintended duplication of tasks. For example, a mapper can approach a building, select that building from a map view within ODK on their mobile phone, and add the opening hours, number of floors, construction material, or any number of useful attributes in a well-structured questionnaire format
To prepare the appropriate map files for ODK, we are taking our inspiration from the HOT Tasking Manager, which allows remote mappers to choose well-defined small "task" areas, ensuring full coverage of the project area and no unintended duplication of tasks.
More Info¶
For more information about FieldTM, see the FAQ and Timeline.