Crowdsourcing involves outsourcing tasks traditionally performed by employees to a large group of people through an open call. It has been used historically in projects like the Audubon Christmas Bird Count and currently in initiatives like Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, and Galaxy Zoo. Crowdsourcing can engage citizens in scientific research and humanitarian mapping. While errors may occur, breaking projects into small tasks and recognizing contributions can lead to successful crowdsourcing. It has potential applications for hydrography, maritime safety reporting, and engaging various groups like pleasure boaters and professional mariners.

1. Crowdsourcing
for Maintenance and New Product
Development
IIC Technologies Workshop On Electronic
Charting 26–27 January 2011, North
Vancouver, BC

2. Crowdsourcing: the Definition
 "the act of a company or institution taking a function
once performed by employees and outsourcing it to
an undefined (and generally large) network of people
in the form of an open call.“ Jeff Howe, author
“Crowdsourcing”
2

3. A meta example
Crowdsourcing is …
an online, distributed problem solving and production model. Problems
are broadcast to an unknown group of solvers via the Web in the form
of an open call for solutions. Users--also known as the crowd--typically
form into online communities based on the Web site, and the crowd
submits solutions to the site. The crowd also sorts through the
solutions, finding the best ones. Wikipedia, 2009/1/20
the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or
contractor, to an undefined, large group of people or community (a
crowd), through an open call. Wikipedia, 2011/1/20
3

4. Crowdsourcing Examples - Historical
 Audubon Christmas Bird
Count
 US National Weather Service
Cooperative Observer
Program (COOP)
 Oxford English Dictionary
4

5. Crowdsourcing Examples - Contemporary
 Linux
 Wikipedia
 OpenStreetMap
 Galaxy Zoo
 Old Weather
 And on and on and on
5

6. NWS COOP since 1890
Over 10, 000 Volunteers
6

7. Engaging Citizen Science
 Moon Zoo, Galaxy Zoo, Mars Zoo
 Vernal Pools
 IceWatch, WormWatch
 BudBurst
This work could not be done
any other way 7

8. Citizen Mapping
 OpenStreetMap “Is data created by an "trained
expert" who is not familiar with
 Beta MapQuest Open an area somehow more
"accurate" than data created
 TomTom MapShare by an "amateur" who lives in
that area and has a vested
 NAVTEQ Map Reporter interest in correct information?
 USGS NationalMap Especially given that the local
amateur has the means
(through OSM) to make
corrections on the fly?” Jeremy
Crampton Mapping without a net:
Neogeography in the 21st Century
8

9. Mantra in Crowdsourced Maps
“Intimacy Trumps Skill”
Clay Shirky
Ski Runs at Whistler: Google Maps (l) OSM (r)
9

10. Crisis Mapping
10

11. Errors in Citizen Reporting
11

12. Humanitarian Mapping
12

13. USGS National Map Program
13

14. Steps to Successful Crowdsourcing
• define the cause
• build an aggregator/coordinator
• motivate a core group of passionate volunteers
• break the job down into small trainable tasks
• make it easy, educational and fun
• recognize the contributions
• prepare for success
14

15. Crowdsourcing and Hydrography
 OpenSeaMap
 TeamSurv
 OLEX
15

16. TeamSurv
16

17. Engaging the Pleasure Boaters
 Uncharted areas
 Inshore areas for
small craft/kayakers
“Large-scale services, while
tremendously important, often
suffer from lowest common
denominator effects as they seek
to make a single system satisfy
the needs of everyone.”
Urban Informatics:
Community Integration and Implementation
17

18. Engaging The Pleasure Boaters
Start by identifying the desired
output from the crowd and
work backward to design
Plan for a great user
experience
The model you use, the
incentives, the crowd you
engage, and many other
considerations all flow from the
desired outcome
Chaordix Crowdsourcing
18

19. Engaging The Professional Mariner
Harbour Masters
Port information on-line
and up-to-date
Alert service for changes
Uniform format,
Direct link between the
Harbour Master and the
customer
Berth to berth planning is important as most accidents
happen between pilot station and the berth.
19

20. Engaging The Professional Mariner
Pilots
20

21. Engaging The Professional Mariner
Ships’
Officers
21

22. Marine Information Overlays to ECDIS
Why not a mariner-
reported, yet-to-verify
layer for transient
cautions ?
22

23. BLAST: Marine Safety in the North Sea
Marine Community
16 public and private
partners from six
countries in the North
Sea Region, will
collaborate to
harmonise and
integrate land and sea
data.
MDCS … means to report defects in
marine charts and nautical
publications
23

24. Once Again - - Old Weather
Will Global Climate Change
motivate the “killer app” for
Crowdsourcing ?
24

25. Shipping and CO2 Emissions
Berge Stahl: Brazil to
Rotterdam: 7,000 T CO2
Emma Mærsk: Hong
Kong to Bremerhaven
30,000 T CO2
25

26. IIC Technologies
For more information:
mcasey@iictechnologies.com
www.iictechnologies.com