Facebook To Roll Out AI Tool For OpenStreetMap Users

Although you can easily enter an address into a map service like Google Maps or Apple Maps and find out the exact location in a matter of seconds, there's still a slew of uncharted roads and territories. However, a new AI-based technology from Facebook which is applied to OpenStreetMap is likely to help volunteers to find an easier way to establish unmapped areas.

Facebook has already announced the Map with AI technology to the OpenStreetMap community. Thanks to it, everyone can take advantage of it to discover specific areas in some countries, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Mexico. However, the base number will be expanded to cover the world.

To solve numerous issues related to the mapping process, the tech giant will recognize paths on the Earth by using images with a high resolution from satellites, two square feet per pixel. From that, the neural network will be able to detect unpaved roads and pedestrian walkways as well as distinguishing them from other things. Lastly, volunteers will do the final verification.

Apart from Map with AI, Facebook also introduced a tool called RapiD, which is said to be an advancement of the current editor. The new editor will allow mappers to "mapping" new roads more quickly. As of now, OSM is the largest source of open-source mapping data in the world, and Facebook is totally reliant on it for its maps-driven services, especially its Marketplace, Check-ins, and Facebook Local.