Nature names: observation.org

[rekel]

]Hi,

Last year there was a Forum Topic: Topic: iNaturalist - A New Vision Model  (Read 1952 times)

Some words about observation.org
- advantage: all info in a large number of languages;
- quite reliable, easy to use

I already use the Dutch version waarneming.nl

Used observation.org for a trip to Belarus in 2019
Workflow:
- DxO Photolab for a first round
- Imatch 2021 mapping to put GPS coordinates in the photos
- Add the the photos to be named animal and plant photos to project Observation.org in DxO (manual indeed, but the I can export the customized photos to a directory on my hard disk, as  observation.org needs very cropped photos)
- then, indeed manual to observation.org: this directly takes the coordinates, plus mapping. Plus name suggestions, and easy links to the suggested species
- when pretty sure, then save. Usually within a day the observation is commented. An interesting way to learn the species (indeed I am  a birdwatcher).

https://observation.org/users/226/observations/?date_after=2019-04-01&date_before=2019-07-31&species_group=&rarity=&search=&advanced=on&species=&sex=&province=&validation_status=&life_stage=&activity=&method=&sort=date

It is possible to download the observation in a table, with links to the observations. A neat overview!

Next step: how do I get the info in the Metadata? By hand, or import (sorry, I am not so experienced, and do not know all in and outs)

Vision: it would be handy when IMatch could work together with observation.org, and that species detection is as easy as Face-detection (therefore you even have to know the individu...).

Or is it: keep dreaming?

Yoirs,

Ruud Kampf

[Mario]

I'm not really understanding, sorry.

You want to import what and where?
IMatch supports a wide range of import formats (see Importing and Exporting Data for an overview) and in addition supports XMP-based metadata standards like Darwin Core often used in the scientific community.

In addition, IMatch offers the powerful Attributes concept which enable users to setup their own database inside the IMatch database, to store any kind of information that does not fit into established metadata formats like XMP.

For example, the table you show in your screen shot could be easily created as an Attribute Set in IMatch and then filled from a CSV file (e.g., created from Excel).
If the data is available you can use it for searching, sorting, display, in all IMatch features which work with variables etc.

I don't observe anything myself so I have no real clue about what this web site does.
I understand that people upload info about observations they have made and that this web site makes the data accessible to others.

With a custom app IMatch could probably directly upload data and images to that web site.
I don't know if there is sufficient interest (aka IMatch customers) to finance the development and maintenance of such an app.
Not sure if that is what you are thinking of?

[rekel]

Hi Mario,

Thanks for the quick reply. First conclusion, I still need to learn a lot about Imatch, so many developments.
Despite I learned programming already around 1970, I find the programming in IMatch not easy.

Very simply said: i do have lots of nature photo's in Imatch, it would be very handy for me when I could bring a photo from Imatch to observation.org to the name automatically and then back to my database. It is very much like face-detection. Who knows it might be a good cooperation between you and Observation International, connected to Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in Leiden.


Just an example. We have travelled extensively in he high arctic, with a lot of photo's, from 1970. Could be ineresting to map

[Mario]

I've had a look at the site but I don't see any kind of documentation for developers (API documentation). Not sure if they offer such services.
They have mobile apps, so I assume they have some sorts of cloud infrastructure.

IMatch integrates and works with many cloud services already, from Microsoft, Google, HERE, GeoNames.org, Clarifai and imagga.

An app which uploads files from an IMatch database and then downloads results and stores it into image metadata or Attributes is something that should be doable.
Done that before for other projects with IMatch.

But this would require a "public" API on their side and sufficient demand from IMatch users.
Since they offer apps for Android and iOS I guess there won't be much demand for an IMatch integration...?

If you have a context there, ask them if the offer a public API for developers to use.