posted in Technology
CoMaps: The Offline App That Guided Rescuers Without a Signal in the Venezuela Response
hotosm.org/en/news/comaps-the-offline-app-that-guided-rescuers-without-a-signal-in-the-venezuela-response/
Replying to @inari@piefed.zip
It’s great in many ways, and maps are great. You can get Ordnance Survey style maps.
BUT it desperately needs traffic information in its route finding. It frequently makes terrible decisions in the absence of this data.
Replying to @jabjoe@feddit.uk
How does an offline app get traffic data
Replying to @lazynooblet@lazysoci.al
It could download time based averages alongside the map date, not perfect but decent most of the time.
Really though this is an OSM wrapper so it would likely need to be integrated there
Replying to @lazynooblet@lazysoci.al
To be honest, even a static DB of recorded road speed using time of day, day of week, time of year, averages, would be a lot better than nothing. It would mean it knows you can’t really go 60 down a bendy, narrow, stone wall lined, single lane, country road. Not and live anyway. So it would stop trying to use them all the time.
But hey, if there is internet, why not query it for the latest?
Replying to @jabjoe@feddit.uk
I don’t think you should be using satnav to determine if you can power around a blind bend. That’s a quick way to the grave
Replying to @jabjoe@feddit.uk
Traffic information? Did you not read the article?
This was a response to an earthquake. Not only no traffic, but no infrastructure whatsoever, including live data.
Replying to @non_burglar@lemmy.world
I only skimmed.
I’m not joking about the Ordnance Survey bit. When I’m on walks, I often am in area with bugger all phone reception (common in the UK) and the quality of the maps means it really is as good.
It’s why the lack of traffic upsets me so, because I’d love to use it in the car as my main maps for Android Auto, but without traffic, that’s just doesn’t work well enouhg.
Replying to @jabjoe@feddit.uk
without traffic, that’s just doesn’t work well enouhg
Yeah, that’s fair enough for most of us.
Openstreetmap data isn’t nearly as complete as google maps, to be sure. However, like a number of other FOSS and community-driven apps, there’s always something I need to either live without (and in my current rural setting, that is traffic data), or I work around it.
One thing comaps is really good at is recording GPS tracks out-of-service, which google maps SUCKS at.
Ordnance Survey looks great! Too bad I’m not in Britain.
Replying to @non_burglar@lemmy.world
I’d argue there is a network effect lockin going on with Google, and it needs fixing by governments. Google, and others, should have to share basic road speed data.
OS Maps are great. You know MapMen? They love OS Maps.