KartaView
KartaView is a crowdsourced, street-level imagery platform.
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KartaView is a crowdsourced, street-level imagery platform.
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Was this helpful?
KartaView is an open-source, collaborative street-level imagery platform designed to enhance mapping efforts by providing detailed visual context. It leverages crowdsourced photos to help validate and improve map data, making it a valuable resource for contributors to mapping projects like OpenStreetMap. Users can upload their own street-level photographs or explore those submitted by others, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of specific locations. By offering a platform for the sharing and utilization of geo-tagged images, KartaView addresses the need for accurate, up-to-date visual data in mapping and navigation, serving as a practical tool for anyone looking to contribute to or use enhanced map data.
KartaView offers coverage in areas where Google lacks it and the platform also displays some metadata associated with the uploaded images such as timestamps, device, and operating system information.
Features:
Compass: compass north indicator.
Coverage: Global but can be limited in some areas.
Edit data: OSM and traffic signs are taggable.
Full screen mode
High definition image toggle.
Image metadata: street view imagery includes the following metadata: Coordinates, Date and time Recorded, Track Distance, Photos, Camera Type, FOV
Image thumbnail toggle
Language: limited to English.
Location search: search by location name or coordinates.
Zoom tool: zoom in and out on the map.
The example below shows the results of searching for Amsterdam, selecting a road and the imagery filmed on the road:
KartaView is available in the following formats:
Web
Mobile
API
Web: any modern we browser.
Mobile: iOS and Android.
API: an email for a user account and an API key.
KartaView, a tool designed for contributing geotagged photos to assist in OpenStreetMap editing, has the following limitations:
Up-to-Date Information: As with any community-driven project, there can be a delay between when an image is captured and when it is available on KartaView. This means some images may not reflect the current state of the location.
Privacy Concerns: Although KartaView blurs faces and license plates in images automatically, there's a potential for sensitive information to be captured inadvertently.
Technical Requirements: To contribute, users need a smartphone with a GPS and a camera or a dedicated GPS-enabled camera. This may limit participation from those without the necessary technology.
API Rate limits: The API will have rate limits but these are not documented.
When using KartaView for research purposes, several ethical considerations must be taken into account:
Privacy and Anonymity: Even though KartaView makes efforts to blur faces and license plates, researchers should consider the implications of using images that might inadvertently reveal identifying details of individuals or private properties.
Consent: The people captured in the images have not given their explicit consent to be photographed or to have their images used for research. Researchers need to weigh the public interest of their work against the privacy expectations of these individuals.
Accuracy and Representation: Researchers must consider the limitations of KartaView's coverage and the potential for bias in the dataset. Areas with less coverage may be underrepresented in research findings, affecting the accuracy and fairness of any conclusions drawn.
Data Security and Sharing: If researchers are collecting additional data related to the images, they must ensure this information is stored and shared responsibly, protecting any sensitive information that could be linked to individuals or specific locations.
Compliance with Laws and Guidelines: Ensure that the use of KartaView images complies with any applicable laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines, especially those relating to privacy and data protection.
To effectively use KartaView, especially for beginners or those looking to refine their skills, the following resources are highly recommended:
Official Wiki
Tutorials and Articles
Community and Support
Bellingcat Volunteer Team
Coverage: KartaView's coverage is uneven, being heavily dependent on community contributions. Some areas, particularly rural or less populated regions, may have few to no images. This issue is covered in and .
Image Quality: The quality of the imagery varies significantly depending on the device used to capture the images and the conditions under which they were taken (see: ).
No official wiki (main website: )
Geospatial OSINT Investigations Tips & Techniques (no date). Available at: (Accessed: 9 May 2024).
‘Nixintel Open Source Intelligence & Investigations Six Tools To Help With Geolocation’ (2022) Nixintel Open Source Intelligence & Investigations, 24 July. Available at: (Accessed: 9 May 2024).
OSINT At Home #11 – Six street view applications to explore the world (2021). Available at: (Accessed: 9 May 2024).
FAQ available
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