As advanced mapping systems become more integral in the fabric of society, the value of those systems is directly linked to the extent they are shared across users and service providers. Whether intended for self-driving cars or augmented reality applications, users need a common digital model of the physical world. Open map data provides a solution that meets the needs of those applications. Overture Maps Foundation, founded in 2022, believes companies can collectively develop and maintain a global map dataset that can be used under permissive open data licenses to build more accurate, more featured, and more up-to-date maps. Because they are open, information can be arranged in a shared spatial framework to give integrated views of the physical world, whether for visualization or analysis. During this session, Marc Prioleau, executive director, Overture Maps will discuss the benefits of a collaborative approach to map building, using an example of the GIS use case, collecting and extracting insights about the planet’s infrastructure from current satellite and aerial imagery operations, and converting them into open map data using advanced AI/ML techniques from other members of the Overture consortium.
