At the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), we envision an ecosystem of open mapping technology that enables everyone, and in particular vulnerable communities, to make open map data available in order to use in disaster response and humanitarian context. We focus on building with our community and involving our users in every step of the process.

In this session, we would like to take you on a journey in introducing the full end-to-end open mapping workflow, from collecting data to generating insights. From gathering aerial imagery with UAVs, remote mapping, AI assisted mapping to field data collection and then downloading and using the map in disasters and humanitarian work. You will hear about the key open source tools enabling that process - from the newly developed Drone Tasking Manager to fAIr (our AI assisted mapping service), Field Mapping Tasking Manager and HOT Export tool. We will share some stories from case studies in testing the end to end mapping workflow in Indonesia, Nepal, Sierra Leone and the lessons learnt.

We hope that you will leave this talk inspired and with an understanding on how YOU can become part of the end to end mapping journey!

HOTOSM website: https://www.hotosm.org/tech-suite
HOTOSM Github: https://github.com/hotosm

In a humanitarian context, data collection can be divided into two main categories: proactive collection of data that may be useful for disaster response and recovery; reactive collection that is required to assess the situation on the ground during an event.

The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team has supported both types of mapping through the Tasking Manager platform. Going forward we will also be able to collect drone imagery collaboratively and add collected field-data to complement and match to the remote data, with the Drone TM and Field Mapping TM (FMTM) respectively.

There are often major hurdles for field-based data collection:
1. How to effectively collaborate with multiple data collectors at the same time.
2. How to work when there is poor connectivity in an area.

Web applications may be an acceptable choice to solve the first issue, but typically perform poorly when subjected to the second.

With a new paradigm in web development, local-first applications, this may no longer be an issue.

We can develop web-based applications that allow for both:
- Real-time update for users undertaking collaborative data collection campaigns.
- Fully offline data collection capability, with syncing and conflict resolution once connectivity is restored.

These capabilities have been achieved through some major landmarks over time:
- Addition of WASM to the browser in 2017.
- Implementation of databases in the web-browser (SQLite, Postgres), using WASM.
- Introduction of smart data reconciliation mechanisms such as CRDTs.
- Continual improved access to mobile phones globally, particularly in the introduction of high-performance smart phones.

This talk explores our journey implementing a local-first field mapping flow, with an example and demo to demonstrate its efficacy.