Overview of the challenges of geocoding Indian addresses and how we attempt to solve that challenge at nestoria.in

1. Geocoding India
Ed Freyfogle
Lokku Ltd.
@geo_BLR - 31 Jan 2014

2. We map millions of properties

3. Across multiple countries

4. nestoria.in
Launched in 2010
Some of our partners:

5. What we ask for
<listing>
...
<placenames>
<building number="35">Napier Court</building>
<street>Cropley Street</street>
<area>Hackney</area>
<town>London</town>
<region>Greater London</region>
<province>South East England</province>
</placenames>
<location>
<latitude>51.532855</latitude>
<longitude>-0.0902938</longitude>
<postcode>N1 7HS</postcode>
</location>
...
</listing>

6. Meanwhile, in India ...

7. What we get
...
<location>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude>0.000000</latitude>
<longitude>0.000000</longitude>
<placenames>
<area>Mansarovar</area>
<street>
Parsavanath at Sanganer, near mansarover muhana mandi
</street>
<town>Jaipur</town>
</placenames>
</location>
...

8. What we get
...
<location>
<full_address>
, Porcia, Pordenone
</full_address>
<postcode>33080</postcode>
<country>IT</country>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude></latitude>
<longitude></longitude>
<coordinate_confidence unit="m">50</coordinate_confidence>
</location>
...

9. What we get
Andreis
Bannia
...
Barcis
<location>
Castions
Cimolais
<full_address>
Cimpello
, Porcia, Pordenone
Claut
Erto e Casso
</full_address>
Fiume Veneto
Frisanco
<postcode>33080</postcode>
Ghirano
Orcenico Inferiore
<country>IT</country>
Palse
Poffabro
Porcia
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
Prata di Pordenone
<latitude></latitude>
Puia
Roraipiccolo
<longitude></longitude>
<coordinate_confidence unit="m">50</coordinate_confidence>
</location>
...

10. What we get
...
<location>
<country>IN</country>
<full_address>
M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East Borivali (East) Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar
</full_address>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude>19.23351</latitude>
<longitude>72.83678</longitude>
<placenames>
<province>Maharashtra</province>
<region>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</region>
<town>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</town>
<area>Borivali (East)</area>
<neighbourhood>M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East</neighbourhood>
</placenames>
</location>
...

11. What we get
...
<location>
<country>IN</country>
<full_address>
M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East Borivali (East) Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar
</full_address>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude>19.23351</latitude>
<longitude>72.83678</longitude>
<placenames>
<province>Maharashtra</province>
<region>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</region>
<town>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</town>
<area>Borivali (East)</area>
<neighbourhood>M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East</neighbourhood>
</placenames>
</location>
...

12. What we get
...
<location>
<country>IN</country>
<full_address>
M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East Borivali (East) Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar
</full_address>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude>19.23351</latitude>
<longitude>72.83678</longitude>
<placenames>
<province>Maharashtra</province>
<region>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</region>
<town>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</town>
<area>Borivali (East)</area>
<neighbourhood>M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East</neighbourhood>
</placenames>
</location>
...

13. What we get
...
<location>
<country>IN</country>
<full_address>
M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East Borivali (East) Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar
</full_address>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude>19.23351</latitude>
<longitude>72.83678</longitude>
<placenames>
<province>Maharashtra</province>
<region>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</region>
<town>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</town>
<area>Borivali (East)</area>
<neighbourhood>M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East</neighbourhood>
</placenames>
</location>
...

14. What we get
...
<location>
<country>IN</country>
<full_address>
M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East Borivali (East) Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar
</full_address>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude>19.23351</latitude>
<longitude>72.83678</longitude>
<placenames>
<province>Maharashtra</province>
<region>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</region>
<town>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</town>
<area>Borivali (East)</area>
<neighbourhood>M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East</neighbourhood>
</placenames>
</location>
...

15. What we get
...
<location>
<country>IN</country>
<full_address>
M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East Borivali (East) Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar
</full_address>
<coordinate_system>WGS84</coordinate_system>
<latitude>19.23351</latitude>
<longitude>72.83678</longitude>
<placenames>
<province>Maharashtra</province>
<region>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</region>
<town>Mumbai Andheri-Dahisar</town>
<area>Borivali (East)</area>
<neighbourhood>M.G.RdNr Rly Stn -East</neighbourhood>
</placenames>
</location>
...

16. is there any hope?

17. More data
<full_description>
<![CDATA[ Property Code: RS434487<BR> ]]>
</full_description>

18. More (useful) data
<full_description>
Box situé dans la cour d'un immeuble à VITRY
SUR SEINE, rue Marie Sorin Defresne. Libre de
suite Loyer trimestriel: 230 € Contacter Madame
GOYARD ...
</full_description>

19. More (useful) data
<full_description>CASA EM CONDOMÍNIO A Venda 5 Dormitórios - Iporanga, Sorocaba - SP. Sobrado em
Condomínio com 2 salas, divididas em vários ambientes, cozinha planejada, despensa, lavabo,
banheiro social, 5 dormitórios sendo 1 suíte com closet e 1 suíte master, sacada, escritório,
área de serviço, piscina, espaço gourmet, quintal e garagem coberta para 4 carros. Acabamento
Interno: Salas e escritório com piso porcelanato. Cozinha, banheiro social e suítes com piso
cerâmico. Dormitórios com piso laminado de madeira. Salas com teto rebaixado e sanca em gesso,
paredes com detalhes em textura. Cozinha planejada com coifa, fogão cooktop, grande mesa central
em granito preto, revestimento nas paredes com detalhes em pastilhas, enorme pia com gabinete em
granito preto. Banheiro social com revestimento nas paredes, pia em mármore travertino, box em
vidro temperado. Escritório amplo com armários, parede com detalhes em textura. Acabamento
Externo: Área de serviço com revestimento nas paredes com detalhes em pastilhas. Quintal em piso
cerâmico, paredes com detalhes em textura, enorme pia e balcão em granito. Piscina com cascata e
piso em torno em pedra mineira. Churrasqueira com paredes e fundo em vidro temperado. Garagem
com acesso via portão eletrônico, paredes com detalhes em textura. Jardim em toda sua parte
frontal, porta de acesso principal em madeira maciça e fechadura eletrônica, pedra miracema na
calçada. Piso cerâmico na entrada do imóvel. Acessórios do Imóvel: Espaço gourmet, piscina,
interfone, aquecedor elétrico solar, portão eletrônico e tv a cabo. Acessórios do Condomínio:
Lazer: Lago, Pista de Caminhada, Quadra Poliesportiva, Quadra de Tênis, Pista de Skate,
Vestiários, Espaço Gourmet com Salão de Festas e Churrasqueira, Sala de ginástica, Salão de
jogos, Playground. Segurança: Totalmente murado, portarias com monitoramento de acesso 24hs,
cancelas automáticas, cerca elétrica perimetral e ronda 24hs. Infraestrutura da Região:
Localizado próximo a Zona Industrial de Sorocaba, possui acesso fácil tanto para a Rod. Castelo
Branco, quanto para o Centro de Sorocaba.</full_description>

20. we can't trust the data

21. can we still geocode?

22. Veocoder

23. Veocoder
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text
of the printing and typesetting
industry. Lorem Ipsum has been
the industry's standard dummy text
ever since the 1500s, when an
unknown printer took a galley of
type and scrambled it to make a
type specimen book. It has
survived not only five centuries, but
also the leap into electronic
typesetting, remaining essentially
unchanged. It was popularised in
the 1960s with the release of
Letraset sheets containing Lorem
Ipsum passages, and more recently
with desktop publishing software
like Aldus PageMaker including
versions of Lorem Ipsum.
any text

24. Veocoder
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text
of the printing and typesetting
industry. Lorem Ipsum has been
the industry's standard dummy text
ever since the 1500s, when an
unknown printer took a galley of
type and scrambled it to make a
type specimen book. It has
survived not only five centuries, but
also the leap into electronic
typesetting, remaining essentially
unchanged. It was popularised in
the 1960s with the release of
Letraset sheets containing Lorem
Ipsum passages, and more recently
with desktop publishing software
like Aldus PageMaker including
versions of Lorem Ipsum.
any text
area
a
are
area
places

25. Veocoder
hierarchies
best place

26. But other geocoders?
● they expect "good" input
● price is crazy
● they rate limit

27. Geocoding Task
Where is:
Lotus County, Site: Sy No. 122/2, Solapur
Road, Opp.To Gate No-6 Mirc Darewadi,
Ahmednagar., Opp.To Gate No-6m,
Ahmednagar

28. Geocoding Task
(using http://www.gisgraphy.com/compare)

29. Geocoding Task - Veocoder

30. Geocoding Task - Veocoder

31. where did the data
come from?

32. OpenStreetMap
http://www.openstreetmap.org
on twitter: @openstreetmap
Open geodata. The whole world. For you to use.
We need your help.

33. OpenStreetMap

34. What’s next?
Releasing a public version of our geocoder soon.
We need your feedback.

35. Thank you, learn more
http://www.nestoria.in
find property
http://www.lokku.com
our brands
http://www.github.com/lokku get our code
on twitter:
@nestoria, @lokku, @opencagedata, @freyfogle

36. Questions?
http://www.nestoria.in
find property
http://www.lokku.com
our brands
http://www.github.com/lokku get our code
on twitter:
@nestoria, @lokku, @opencagedata, @freyfogle

37. Credit where credit it due
This talk derives heavily from a similar talk presented by my
colleague Savio Dimatteo (@darksmo) at the 11 July 2013
#geomob.