FOSDEM 2025 - MapTCHA, the open source CAPTCHA that improves OpenStreetMap
FOSDEM 2025 - MapTCHA, the open source CAPTCHA that improves OpenStreetMap
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Oh no. Imagine trying to use a map app, and you have to go to the gps coordinates of the maps location, in order to solve the geocaptcha.
It sounds stupid, but thats exactly why someone will do this. We live in the dumbest timeline.
I only read the text, didn't watch the video, but from the text it didn't sound like that's what they were describing. It sounded like they will present images to people and ask them to confirm whether or not there's an object there?
We introduce “MapTCHA”, a CAPTCHA that leverages the uncertainty of interpreting imagery with computer vision, and provides human verification for AI predictions: users are asked to identify images containing correctly interpreted objects, e.g. building outlines.
Edit: also, here's the github they seem to be working from - https://github.com/ciupava/maptcha_dev
Edit 2: I hope they succeed, because it would be great to have an open source captcha that benefits everyone.
The big question though is: why?
CAPTCHA was implemented because machine learning was worse than people at solving the problems, so they could filter out the bots AND train their algorithms.
Today, the bots are often better than the humans, so both reasons for having CAPTCHAS no longer make sense. Even user verification can be easily faked by AI now.
I'm not sure.
Perhaps getting computer vision that's reliably better than humans costs a lot of money that a project like OpenStreetMap doesn't have?
Could be… it makes sense to reinvent the wheel if the previous inventors won’t share.
They explain it in the video. They already use algorithms to detect if things are buildings or not.
But if their algorithm can't make a determination or is uncertain below a certain threshold, they send it to Maptcha to get a bulk human opinion.