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GIS OS Research Thoughts

Research Labs project reported in New Scientist

As a A-Level Physics student, I used to love reading New Scientist in the School Library – I could at least understand it.. maybe reading too much of it, resulted in my spectacular failure at the subject ?
Map Snapper Still its good to see Ordnance Survey Research Labs joint research with Southampton University making this weeks New Scientist as well as Computer Weekly.

Map Snapper is a demonstration of technology that brings together the best characteristics of paper mapping and geospatial databases. Using a camera phone a photo of any feature on the map is sent to a server application which “recognises” the feature using pattern recognition and return up to date attribute information..

So take a picture of a hotel, and find out its telephone number, rates and this evenings reservation information, or take a picture of a train station to find out the time of the next train.

One way to think of this is a mash-up tool for paper maps !!

Map Snapper is a great example of collaborative research, the real challenge now is to find partners to commercialise the idea…

3 replies on “Research Labs project reported in New Scientist”

This looks like a great little application – the more I think about the small, personal technologies like phones and how children in my Year 6 class have greater access to them – the more I think we should be making more of it in our curriculum.
As a classteacher I can see this tool fitting in with a larger scale activity perhaps with maths and geography, something along the lines of finding accomodation to a budget or plotting a journey to a budget.

I would love to have a go. πŸ™‚

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