#georeferencing — Public Fediverse posts

Turn floor plans or drone photos into interactive maps in minutes. Our Georeferencer makes it easy; simply click matching points to align your image & get instant results. Ready to map your assets? maptiler.link/4ejyyKg #MapTiler #Georeferencing #GIS

Using GPS in the year 1565 There’s a wonderful web app (“Allmaps Here”) that shows your GPS location on old maps. I love it. www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/u... #maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing

Using GPS in the year 1565 There’s a wonderful web app (“Allmaps Here”) that shows your GPS location on old maps. I love it. www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/u... #maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing

I want to use QGIS to geo reference an image, then later edit the image in GNU IMP, but preserve the location tags.

Is this difficult? Do I need to save off the location data somehow?

#QGIS #georeferencing

I want to use QGIS to geo reference an image, then later edit the image in GNU IMP, but preserve the location tags.

Is this difficult? Do I need to save off the location data somehow?

#QGIS #georeferencing

University of North Carolina: UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections. “A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This […]

University of North Carolina: UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections. “A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This […]

Georeference a Scanned Map in QGIS

https://videos.qwast-gis.com/w/fHgHKiaYuJEs6Jwztagx73

Georeference a Scanned Map in QGIS

https://videos.qwast-gis.com/w/fHgHKiaYuJEs6Jwztagx73

Locating The Pā Sites From Hartley Ferrar’s Geological Maps
[spatial analysis, New Zealand]
--
https://doi.org/10.70460/jpa.v15i1.388 <-- shared paper
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #geology #historicmaps #Māori #Maori #defensive #Pa #Pā #NewZealand #fort #Northland #NewZealand #LiDAR #remotesensing #model #modeling #geologist #HartleyFerrar #archaeology #spatialanalysis #remotesensing #earthobservation #georeferencing #digitisation #machinelearning #AI #imagery #survey #cartography #FirstNation #indigenous #culture #landscape #heritage #iwi #hapū #collaboration #legacydata #heritagemanagement

Locating The Pā Sites From Hartley Ferrar’s Geological Maps
[spatial analysis, New Zealand]
--
https://doi.org/10.70460/jpa.v15i1.388 <-- shared paper
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #geology #historicmaps #Māori #Maori #defensive #Pa #Pā #NewZealand #fort #Northland #NewZealand #LiDAR #remotesensing #model #modeling #geologist #HartleyFerrar #archaeology #spatialanalysis #remotesensing #earthobservation #georeferencing #digitisation #machinelearning #AI #imagery #survey #cartography #FirstNation #indigenous #culture #landscape #heritage #iwi #hapū #collaboration #legacydata #heritagemanagement

UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections – EurekAlert!

News Release 5-Dec-2025

UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This task has traditionally been slow, expensive and dependent on significant manual effort. The team found that LLMs can complete this work with near-human accuracy while being significantly faster and more cost-effective. 

“Our study explores how large language models can take on one of the biggest bottlenecks in digitizing plant collections,” said Yuyang Xie, first author and postdoctoral researcher in the department of biology at UNC. “We are pioneering the use of these tools for georeferencing, a breakthrough that will accelerate the digitization of plant specimens and unlock new possibilities for ecological research.” 

The research set out to answer a central question: Can AI automate one of the most time-consuming steps in digitizing natural history collections? The Carolina team found out that yes, it can. LLMs not only performed georeferencing with an error margin of less than 10 kilometers, outperforming traditional methods, but also completed the task at a fraction of the time and cost. 

“Recent advances in LLMs can potentially transform the georeferencing process, making it faster and more accurate,” said Xiao Feng, corresponding author and assistant professor in the department of biology at UNC. “This gives researchers unprecedented opportunities to advance our understanding of global biodiversity distributions.” 

The implications are significant. An estimated 2–3 billion herbarium specimens exist worldwide, but only a small fraction have been digitized. Without digital records and spatial data, researchers face major limitations in tracking biodiversity loss, understanding species movement under climate change and analyzing ecosystem shifts. By deploying AI-powered georeferencing, scientists may soon be able to rapidly digitize vast natural history collections that have remained largely inaccessible. 

“This technology allows us to unlock millions of records that are currently sitting in cabinets,” said Xie. “With the power of LLMs, we can rapidly digitize plant specimen data that will be critical for addressing global environmental challenges.” 

Traditional approaches to georeferencing rely on manual interpretation, specialized software, or multiple rounds of expert review. The UNC study is among the first to apply LLMs to this task and to show they can outperform existing methods in accuracy, efficiency, and scalability. This new approach opens the door to digitizing natural history collections at a speed never before possible. 

The research paper is available online in Nature Plants at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02162-y  

Continue/Read Original Article Here: UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections | EurekAlert!

#AI #artificialIntelligence #BiologyDepartment #CarolinaTeam #Collections #DigitizeContent #EurekAlert #Georeferencing #LargeLanguageModelsLLM #LLMs #NaturalHistory #Nature #UNCChapelHill #XiaoFeng #YuyangXie

UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections – EurekAlert!

News Release 5-Dec-2025

UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This task has traditionally been slow, expensive and dependent on significant manual effort. The team found that LLMs can complete this work with near-human accuracy while being significantly faster and more cost-effective. 

“Our study explores how large language models can take on one of the biggest bottlenecks in digitizing plant collections,” said Yuyang Xie, first author and postdoctoral researcher in the department of biology at UNC. “We are pioneering the use of these tools for georeferencing, a breakthrough that will accelerate the digitization of plant specimens and unlock new possibilities for ecological research.” 

The research set out to answer a central question: Can AI automate one of the most time-consuming steps in digitizing natural history collections? The Carolina team found out that yes, it can. LLMs not only performed georeferencing with an error margin of less than 10 kilometers, outperforming traditional methods, but also completed the task at a fraction of the time and cost. 

“Recent advances in LLMs can potentially transform the georeferencing process, making it faster and more accurate,” said Xiao Feng, corresponding author and assistant professor in the department of biology at UNC. “This gives researchers unprecedented opportunities to advance our understanding of global biodiversity distributions.” 

The implications are significant. An estimated 2–3 billion herbarium specimens exist worldwide, but only a small fraction have been digitized. Without digital records and spatial data, researchers face major limitations in tracking biodiversity loss, understanding species movement under climate change and analyzing ecosystem shifts. By deploying AI-powered georeferencing, scientists may soon be able to rapidly digitize vast natural history collections that have remained largely inaccessible. 

“This technology allows us to unlock millions of records that are currently sitting in cabinets,” said Xie. “With the power of LLMs, we can rapidly digitize plant specimen data that will be critical for addressing global environmental challenges.” 

Traditional approaches to georeferencing rely on manual interpretation, specialized software, or multiple rounds of expert review. The UNC study is among the first to apply LLMs to this task and to show they can outperform existing methods in accuracy, efficiency, and scalability. This new approach opens the door to digitizing natural history collections at a speed never before possible. 

The research paper is available online in Nature Plants at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02162-y  

Continue/Read Original Article Here: UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections | EurekAlert!

#AI #artificialIntelligence #BiologyDepartment #CarolinaTeam #Collections #DigitizeContent #EurekAlert #Georeferencing #LargeLanguageModelsLLM #LLMs #NaturalHistory #Nature #UNCChapelHill #XiaoFeng #YuyangXie

University of North Carolina: UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections. “A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/12/06/university-of-north-carolina-unc-chapel-hill-study-shows-ai-can-dramatically-speed-up-digitizing-natural-history-collections/

University of North Carolina: UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections. “A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/12/06/university-of-north-carolina-unc-chapel-hill-study-shows-ai-can-dramatically-speed-up-digitizing-natural-history-collections/

#Georeferencing #historical #maps by their coordinates is not without its pitfalls. A location in LAT / LON can only be intrepreted with spatial context. While there are some historical proj-strings out there (e.g. DHDN, EPSG:4314), one needs to calculate them for other historical spatial reference systems (SRS) using identical coordinates. Thanks to @jjimenezshaw there is now an accessible solution in #python 🤩 👇
https://github.com/jjimenezshaw/helmert-calc/ @fidkarten @historicum_net @DHd @oldmapgallery

#Georeferencing #historical #maps by their coordinates is not without its pitfalls. A location in LAT / LON can only be intrepreted with spatial context. While there are some historical proj-strings out there (e.g. DHDN, EPSG:4314), one needs to calculate them for other historical spatial reference systems (SRS) using identical coordinates. Thanks to @jjimenezshaw there is now an accessible solution in #python 🤩 👇
https://github.com/jjimenezshaw/helmert-calc/ @fidkarten @historicum_net @DHd @oldmapgallery

Join our #crowdsourcing project! Help georeference 1,497 digitised historical #maps from the #ethlibrary

https://library.ethz.ch/en/locations-and-media/media-types/geodata-maps-aerial-photos/crowdsourcing-project.html

#karten #citizenscience #georeferencing #ethbibliothek

Join our #crowdsourcing project! Help georeference 1,497 digitised historical #maps from the #ethlibrary

https://library.ethz.ch/en/locations-and-media/media-types/geodata-maps-aerial-photos/crowdsourcing-project.html

#karten #citizenscience #georeferencing #ethbibliothek

Georeferencing old maps with Allmaps to have a time machine that allows you to take tours of past cities and landscapes #georeferencing

https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

Georeferencing old maps with Allmaps to have a time machine that allows you to take tours of past cities and landscapes #georeferencing

https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

OldInsuranceMaps.net: Crowdsourcing georeferenced Sanborn maps. Very incomplete archive but totally the right idea.
https://oldinsurancemaps.net/
#georeferencing #fireinsurance #crowdsourcing #sanborn #history #maps #+

OldInsuranceMaps.net: Crowdsourcing georeferenced Sanborn maps. Very incomplete archive but totally the right idea.
https://oldinsurancemaps.net/
#georeferencing #fireinsurance #crowdsourcing #sanborn #history #maps #+

Navigating to Antwerp Central Station on a slightly dated map, would seem to bring me outside of the city.

More info: https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

This specific map: https://here.allmaps.org/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fannotations.allmaps.org%2Fmaps%2F977e83b4accc75f7

#maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing #trains #publictransport

Navigating to Antwerp Central Station on a slightly dated map, would seem to bring me outside of the city.

More info: https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

This specific map: https://here.allmaps.org/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fannotations.allmaps.org%2Fmaps%2F977e83b4accc75f7

#maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing #trains #publictransport

Hacking Global Positioning Systems Onto 16th-Century Maps - What if GPS had existed in 1565? No satellites or microelectronics, sure—but let’s... - https://hackaday.com/2024/11/25/hacking-global-positioning-systems-onto-16th-century-maps/ #georeferencing #historicalmap #georeference #navigation #gpshacks #history #gps #map

Hacking Global Positioning Systems Onto 16th-Century Maps - What if GPS had existed in 1565? No satellites or microelectronics, sure—but let’s... - https://hackaday.com/2024/11/25/hacking-global-positioning-systems-onto-16th-century-maps/ #georeferencing #historicalmap #georeference #navigation #gpshacks #history #gps #map

Using GPS on old city maps 🗺️

There used to be a canal where this big white office building is now. I’ve taken this photo from the location of the pink dot on the map.

How to place your GPS location on an old map near you: https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

This specific map of Antwerp can be found here: https://here.allmaps.org/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fannotations.allmaps.org%2Fmaps%2Fc3cc246df5ba4455

#maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing

Using GPS on old city maps 🗺️

There used to be a canal where this big white office building is now. I’ve taken this photo from the location of the pink dot on the map.

How to place your GPS location on an old map near you: https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

This specific map of Antwerp can be found here: https://here.allmaps.org/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fannotations.allmaps.org%2Fmaps%2Fc3cc246df5ba4455

#maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing

Using GPS in the year 1565

There’s a wonderful web app (“Allmaps Here”) that shows your GPS location on old maps. I love it.

https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

#maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing

Using GPS in the year 1565

There’s a wonderful web app (“Allmaps Here”) that shows your GPS location on old maps. I love it.

https://www.verbeeld.be/2024/11/17/using-gps-in-the-year-1565/

#maps #allmapshere #cartography #georeferencing

When I saw this, I was like "uh oh, it looks like someone screwed up the ground control points..."

But no, it turns out that's what the street actually looks like 🤣

#Georeferencing
#NighttimeLights
#Dortmund

When I saw this, I was like "uh oh, it looks like someone screwed up the ground control points..."

But no, it turns out that's what the street actually looks like 🤣

#Georeferencing
#NighttimeLights
#Dortmund

1/3 Got 3D?

#GoogleEarthPro is free software that simulates 3D. It can be installed on PC/Mac/Linux. In addition to the screen controls you can rightclick-hold and slowly move your pointing device.

Here are example #GIS KMZ files for Ventura County, CA.

Trails and roads. Transparent background.
https://mappingsupport.com/p2/kmz_demo/ventura_county_all.kmz 21MB

Trails and roads. Scanned USGS topos.
https://mappingsupport.com/p2/kmz_demo/ventura_county_all_topo.kmz 37MB

#Georeference #Georeferencing #Geospatial #Maps #Mapping

1/3 Got 3D?

#GoogleEarthPro is free software that simulates 3D. It can be installed on PC/Mac/Linux. In addition to the screen controls you can rightclick-hold and slowly move your pointing device.

Here are example #GIS KMZ files for Ventura County, CA.

Trails and roads. Transparent background.
https://mappingsupport.com/p2/kmz_demo/ventura_county_all.kmz 21MB

Trails and roads. Scanned USGS topos.
https://mappingsupport.com/p2/kmz_demo/ventura_county_all_topo.kmz 37MB

#Georeference #Georeferencing #Geospatial #Maps #Mapping

resuming a project after *sees last modified date of text file with my notes* over 4 years ??!? (at least!?!) (#georeferencing historic aerial imagery & sanborn maps to make a zoomable web map out of it. (i last blogged about it at https://skorasaur.us/2018/04/georeferencing_the_past/) #map #geochat #gischat
eager to pick it back up.

resuming a project after *sees last modified date of text file with my notes* over 4 years ??!? (at least!?!) (#georeferencing historic aerial imagery & sanborn maps to make a zoomable web map out of it. (i last blogged about it at https://skorasaur.us/2018/04/georeferencing_the_past/) #map #geochat #gischat
eager to pick it back up.

@mszll no worries.

I wonder if some vector #georeferencing magic could do the trick 🤔

#gischat

@mszll no worries.

I wonder if some vector #georeferencing magic could do the trick 🤔

#gischat

At the #NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon, we are not only imaging our collections, we also do #georeferencing. Amazingly, the more we digitise, the more data we get, and we can even reconstruct travel routes.
E.g.; Oleg #Polunin (https://bionomia.net/Q266663) collected in the "Kolahoi valley", #Kashmir, in 8/1956.
He started his travel from Pahalgam in the south, via Liddarwat (now a camping ground) towards a "pass" on 14422 ft. altitude where Polunin collected several plants.

At the #NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon, we are not only imaging our collections, we also do #georeferencing. Amazingly, the more we digitise, the more data we get, and we can even reconstruct travel routes.
E.g.; Oleg #Polunin (https://bionomia.net/Q266663) collected in the "Kolahoi valley", #Kashmir, in 8/1956.
He started his travel from Pahalgam in the south, via Liddarwat (now a camping ground) towards a "pass" on 14422 ft. altitude where Polunin collected several plants.

DIGITAL HUMANITIES FOR THE HISTORY OF THE BOOK
instructor: Catherine DeRose

Full course description and application are
available using QR code or link in bio!

#digitalhumanities #bookhistory #datavisualization #naturallanguageprocessing #library #specialcollection #arcgis #storymaps #dh #trello #geospatial #georeferencing #academiclibraries #humanities

@lapingvino @factotum

Btw, #normalization of #georeference|s is not trivial, because it requires techniques called #InstanceMatching.

It's an entire field of ongoing research.

A search for one of the #Berlin|s should be able to come up with

→ #QTHJO62
→ #OLC9F4M

🌺

🏷️ #OLC #QTH #SemanticFediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon #Friendica #Pixelfed #Fediverse #Geocode #Georcoding #Georeferencing #OpenLocationCode #PlusCode #Maidenhead #HamRadio #AFU #CBFunk #CitizenBand #CiBi #ActivityVocabulary

@lapingvino @factotum

Btw, #normalization of #georeference|s is not trivial, because it requires techniques called #InstanceMatching.

It's an entire field of ongoing research.

A search for one of the #Berlin|s should be able to come up with

→ #QTHJO62
→ #OLC9F4M

🌺

🏷️ #OLC #QTH #SemanticFediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon #Friendica #Pixelfed #Fediverse #Geocode #Georcoding #Georeferencing #OpenLocationCode #PlusCode #Maidenhead #HamRadio #AFU #CBFunk #CitizenBand #CiBi #ActivityVocabulary

@lapingvino @factotum

People who want to use exact #georeferencing in a posting should have a way to do so, for example for offline events or to describe #geospatial (or #marsian) features.

🌺

🏷️ #OLC #QTH #SemanticFediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon #Friendica #Pixelfed #Fediverse #Geocode #Georcoding #OpenLocationCode #PlusCode #Maidenhead #HamRadio #AFU #CBFunk #CitizenBand #CiBi #ActivityVocabulary

@lapingvino @factotum

People who want to use exact #georeferencing in a posting should have a way to do so, for example for offline events or to describe #geospatial (or #marsian) features.

🌺

🏷️ #OLC #QTH #SemanticFediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon #Friendica #Pixelfed #Fediverse #Geocode #Georcoding #OpenLocationCode #PlusCode #Maidenhead #HamRadio #AFU #CBFunk #CitizenBand #CiBi #ActivityVocabulary

@lapingvino @factotum

I take it for granted that users must be able to decide upon the precision of the #geocoding they use for their postings.

And that they must also be able to decide upon the geogaphic range of search when they lookup #georef|erenced postings.

🌺

🏷️ #OLC #QTH #SemanticFediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon #Friendica #Pixelfed #Fediverse #Geocode #Georeferencing #OpenLocationCode #PlusCode #Maidenhead #HamRadio #AFU #CBFunk #CitizenBand #CiBi #ActivityVocabulary

@lapingvino @helge @factotum

The location property of the #ActivityVocabulary does not only support exact locations but also areas in the sense that it allows for ›logical locations‹.

A logical location could be ›near Berlin«, but also a #geocode with reduced precision.

🌺

🏷️ #OLC #QTH #SemanticFediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon #Friendica #Pixelfed #Fediverse #Geocoding #Georef #Georeferencing #OpenLocationCode #PlusCode #Maidenhead #HamRadio #AFU #CBFunk #CitizenBand #CiBi