Crowdsourcing Videos of Cycle Routes to Help Plan Trips

February 19, 2013 By IdeaConnection

800px-WhiteBikesVeluweCyclists are being given a helpful push out the front door with a crowdsourcing project that lets them preview their routes before they set off.

Cyclodeo is a Netherlands-based web platform where users can post videos of cycling routes, allowing others to plan their journeys and see in advance where they’ll be going.

 

The videos are paired with Google Maps so cyclists can check what conditions will be like en route. Is there congestion? Are there a lot of parked cars? How isolated are some of the cycle paths?

When users want to check out a route they are presented with a split screen. On the right hand side is a video showing the biker’s perspective and on the left a red line traces the course on a map.

Cool Technology

And here’s the really clever bit. The videos are synched to Google Maps. This means you can click on any part of the red line and you will be taken to the corresponding frame of that part of the route. The crowdsourcing site will also calculate the distance of the ride and the average speed.

Cyclodeo could also be useful in another way. The site’s founder Samir Bendida hopes that it will allow a comparison of cycling infrastructures of different cities and that this will inspire urban planners to improve their networks for cyclists.

Currently, there are video maps of Copenhagen and a few places in New York. But the plan is for the service to be available all over the world.


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