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<p>We are happy to announce the launch of <strong><a
href="http://mapswipe.org" target="_blank">MapSwipe</a></strong>
- an app that allows you to support humanitarian aid by simply
using your mobile.<br>
In a disaster or humanitarian crisis, knowledge regarding the
location of possibly affected and vulnerable people is crucial to
provide effective support. <em>MapSwipe</em> allows you to map
these locations using your smartphone.<br>
Following up on the “<a
href="https://disastermappers.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/with-many-eyes-all-clouds-get-shallow-missing-maps-visit-disastermappers-heidelberg/"
target="_blank">Heidelberg Process</a>” developed by the <a
href="https://disastermappers.wordpress.com" target="_blank">disastermappers
heidelberg</a>/ <a href="http://uni-heidelberg.de/gis"
target="_blank">GIScience Research Group</a> in collaboration
with the <a href="http://missingmaps.org" target="_blank">MissingMaps</a>
team, the app enables collecting information regarding the
location of residential areas using satellite imagery and a
microtasking approach.<br>
The disastermappers heidelberg/ GIScience Research Group are
supporting the <a href="http://missingmaps.org" target="_blank">MissingMaps
project</a> with <a
href="http://k1z.blog.uni-heidelberg.de/?s=mapathon"
target="_blank">Mapathons</a> and by conducting research on the
use of OpenStreetMap data for humanitarian aid. The app is a
result of this collaboration which provides an example on how
research, practice and humanitarian aid can be combined to develop
more efficient workflows (see also: <a
href="http://idl.iscram.org/files/benjaminherfort/2016/1378_BenjaminHerfort_etal2016.pdf">Herfort
et al 2016</a>). </p>
<p>Contributors are asked to mark map tiles and to thereby provide
information regarding inhabited regions.<br>
<strong>One tap</strong> hereby signifies that residential
features could be identified, <strong>a second tap</strong>
indicates the likeliness of features. <strong>A third tap</strong>
flags tiles with bad image quality. If no features are visible you
can just swipe to the next tile and go on with the task.<br>
The app allows you to contribute online as well as offline, using
satellite imagery that can be downloaded beforehand. Therefore the
app allows you to <em>contribute from home just as easy as on the
commute</em>. The provided information can be utilized by
mappers to furthermore digitize building structures, roads and
other individual features. That way base maps that support the
work of MSF, the Red Cross and other organizations are developed
in a collaborative workflow. <em><br>
Interested in becoming active yourself? </em><br>
<strong>Learn more about MapSwipe at <a
href="http://mapswipe.org">mapswipe.org</a>, get the app and
swipe and tap away! </strong><br>
<img src="cid:part10.02070604.07010104@uni-heidelberg.de"
alt="mapswipe using" width="300"></p>
<p>MapSwipe is as of now available in the <a
href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.missingmaps.mapswipe"
target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> and <a
href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mapswipe/id1133855392?ls=1&mt=8"
target="_blank">Apple App Store</a>!</p>
<p><img src="cid:part13.04020006.00080104@uni-heidelberg.de"
alt="mapswipe" width="500"></p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">
GIScience Research Group Heidelberg University
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://uni-heidelberg.de/gis">http://uni-heidelberg.de/gis</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.facebook.com/GIScienceHeidelberg">https://www.facebook.com/GIScienceHeidelberg</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://twitter.com/GIScienceHD">https://twitter.com/GIScienceHD</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://giscienceblog.uni-hd.de">http://giscienceblog.uni-hd.de</a>
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