What is Mapillary Missions?

Towards the end of last year, we launched a new Mapillary feature on iOS called Mapillary Missions. The feature generates Missions in the areas of cities and towns that have a cluster of interesting places. In this case, interesting means commercial/retail land use, public transit stations, parks, and dense points of interest. These are the places people tend to spend time in public so imagery in these locations is particularly helpful for keeping the map updated. Each Mission is represented by a shape that covers part of a road network, and users must capture all the roads in a Mission in order to complete it.

We decided to trial Mapillary Missions in Japan first due to the prevalence of iOS there and the very engaged and well organized community – it turned out to be a great decision! Mapillary’s community in Japan was able to complete 421 missions during the month of the challenge. They also provided incredibly valuable feedback that is helping us actively improve Missions.

We’re keen to see if Missions generated throughout the US make it easier for people to collect map data. In the US, iOS usage is very high and we’re eager for feedback that will help us make image capture easier and more useful for those contributing. Android users, don’t worry – we’re thinking about you too and how we can bring the Mapillary experiences on iOS and Android as close together as possible.

How to participate

1. Select the Mapillary Missions icon on the bottom row of the iOS app to view Missions in your area.
2. Browse the map and tap on a Mission to see the length of road requiring capture to complete the mission. You can also view Missions as a list from the ‘List’ view.
3. Make your way to the Mission area and when safe to do so, select ‘Start capture’ within the app. Move through the Mission area and ensure you have captured a sufficient area.
4. Upload the images when you have completed your Missions.
5. Scores will be updated here throughout the week, so check back in to see how you are doing relative to everyone taking part in the challenge (See Scoring leaderboard below).

Prizes

There are some exciting prizes available to those that take part in Mapillary Missions USA. Make sure to register for the challenge to ensure you’re eligible for the prizes below. Final winners will be announced no later than December 19th after we’ve had a chance to review the results.

Scoring

The main aim of Mapillary Missions USA is to complete Missions in your area. The challenge will reward those that complete the most Missions during the challenge time frame.

To complete a Mission, travel to the Mission area, collect imagery along the roads in the area, and upload the imagery to Mapillary. The Mission areas differ in shape and size, so some will require more effort than others.

Select a Mission to view the image goal. One notable change from Japan is that Missions are now generated around road networks which is different to the grid shapes that you will have seen in earlier iterations of the feature.

Capture every road in the mission area to complete the Mission.

This feature is still in Beta, so please note the following:

• If you are logged into multiple iPhones using the same account, scoring will not sync to reflect the scores from both iPhones. It is best to use one iPhone if possible.
• You may use external devices such as an action camera or dash camera, but the iOS app will not track contributions from these devices. Use the leaderboard on this blog to check your total score if using multiple devices.
• It is possible to complete Missions using an Android phone, but you will not be able to see where the Missions are as this feature is iOS only. If you have a friend/family member with an iPhone and want to participate, you’re more than welcome to!
• Deleting the app will also delete scoring from the device, but progress will be saved on our servers for the images that you have already uploaded.
• You must move throughout the Mission area to properly complete it. Participants trying to complete Missions without properly traveling through the area may have their scores corrected to be fair to other participants.

Leaderboard

You’ll see a leaderboard here updating during the week with the latest Missions scores.

Happy mapping USA 🇺🇲

Thanks for joining our first Mapillary Missions USA. Enjoy your explorations and let us know if you have any feedback on how we can make the feature the best it can be. Use the #MapillaryMissions on social media or reach out to us via support@mapillary.zendesk.com.

/Ed