I have just spent the last 2 months “intensely” making observations around lesser populated areas in WA’s southwest almost solely from the vehicle drivers seat. I then enter that data into OSM ID most afternoons/nights.

The tools;

• Forward looking 8.3MP/4K dashcam 2FPS
• Left facing (270 degrees) old Samsung 8MP phone 0.3FPS
• Left rear facing (225 degs) 1.3MP webcam 1FPS
• The dashcam records audio (my voice) in one minute chunks
• All photos and audio are geo-referenced to their current location
• The Garmin navigation GPS has a current OSM based map, a POI set of all WA stopping places from MRWA and any OSM FixMe’s.

The methods;

Most of the data is by voice prompts that are reviewed afterwards, but a small proportion come from only viewing (mainly) the 270 camera images of shop etc fronts and signs. It is surpising how useful the multiple camera views are.

Voiced items;

• Every road surface change paved vs unpaved on route. (incl concrete bridges)
• Any road calming objects (humps and chicanes) and gates on existing roads
• Any one-way road situations and associated signage.
• Road surface left and right of track (surprising how many are not currently valid)
• Verify road names signs vs Garmin GPS and voice differences. (including missings)
• Verify waterway names signs vs Garmin GPS and voice differences. (including missings)
• Voice any obvious missing public cross etc roads or major private ones (eg sealed mine roads)
• Voice all bridge names (if they exist)
• Respond to FixMe’s (many an unknown water crossing!)
• Respond to any WA stopping places. (The Garmin will show “Parking” if it is already on OSM, so could be ignored)
• Voice any obvious informal parking areas (like stockpile/gravel pit areas) plus any formal not in the MRWA POI’s
• Voice any farm/property names/type
• Voice as many town/other objects as possible, priority to Fire, Police, Ambulance, Post Office & Telstra but try to get all shops, parks, recreation grounds, playgrounds, toilets, camp areas, dump points, water points/tanks, fuel stops, rest areas, touristy things, information boards, welcome signs, comms towers, windpumps, large dams etc as possible.

Other

• The photos (with certain filtering) are also uploaded to Mapillary, but I don’t actually use the current set with ID.
• How I enter/edit is covered in previous diary posts. The basic flow though is to scroll each 1 minute segment of the forward dashcam ONLY at the active audio point. Then use all camera views, the overhead imagery and what I have voiced to edit ID.

I now need a rest and throat/larynx recovery!