Walking Papers provides a means to print OpenStreetMap (OSM) maps in order to draw in updates, and then import changes back to OSM. This online service, that was created by Stamen Design’s Mike Migurski, adds a much-needed portability to add map detail that augments GPS surveying efforts, and without the need for a connected device. The site and functionality have been regularly updated with feedback from participants, and offer some very clever functionality to ease and automate the mapmaking process.
The site allows you to zoom in and print any specific area of interest, and you can even output a tile series of maps for larger areas. Each printed Walking Paper comes with a QR code and registration marks so that when scanned it can be registered back to the map, and imported. Once the notation is complete, users simply scan the image back and upload it to the site for processing. Flat scanners work best for capture back to the site, but correctly registered photographs of the map have been shown to work in some cases. When the map has been scanned, it then is available for tracing within the context of the OSM map, greatly easing data entry.
One of the more interesting aspects of the site is the ongoing log of those that have downloaded data (including where on the map the data is from) and the recent scans that have been uploaded. There’s even a site with pie charted statistics of the top ten countries of the month, and details on scanning and finished efforts.
With the need to continuously update OSM in order to achieve a seamless global up-to-date map, Walking Papers provides a very useful service that appeals to all level of technical expertise, including those without their own computer or computer skills. The usefulness of paper-based input is a good reminder of our mapping origins, and the flexibility and portability of paper-based input.
