READING 01
The QR by the register
Which provider is behind the survey and payment codes taped to storefront glass — and where they’re actually placed.
qr · provider · placement
EARTH TELEMETRY · CAPTURED ON FOOT
Software has telemetry.
The physical world
now has ground truth.
MapWhisper is a paid field network that documents how places are actually set up — the QR code taped by the register, the irrigation controller bolted to the wall, the bulbs in the loading bay. Geo-tagged, timestamped, licensed. Never people. Always places.
PIN 0412 · 30.2672, −97.7431 · 2026-03-11 10:24 CDT · ±6 m APPROVED
TRY ASKING →
- [01] Never people · places and things only
- [02] GPS + timestamp · required at capture
- [03] Public space · or permission only
01 / ARCHIVE
Every reading lands on the map.
Each capture arrives with coordinates, a timestamp, and the mission it answered — searchable the moment it clears review.
Same pin, shot in January and again in June. The difference between the two is the product.
02 / READINGS
What the internet doesn’t know.
These started as photos on one phone — the small, specific things nobody bothered to write down. It turns out nobody sells them either.
READING 02
The controller in the yard
Rain Bird or Hunter, wall-mounted or pedestal, across Texas subdivisions and commercial lots.
irrigation · brand · model
READING 03
The bulbs in the bay
What a facility actually runs overhead, and whether it has swapped to LED since the last visit.
lighting · fixture · swap
READING 04
The shop that wasn’t there
Dispensaries, ghost kitchens, and storefront turnover on blocks nobody re-surveys.
storefront · opened · closed
Photos first. The intelligence layer comes when buyers tell us what schema they want — you can’t guess that before the data exists.
03 / PIPELINE
Mission in, licensed capture out.
One photo’s trip through MapWhisper — brief, shoot, verify, archive, license. Anything with a person in frame drops out at review; approved pins go back on the calendar for a revisit.
brief
photo + GPS
approved
licensed
monthly revisit · change tracking
Mission
REGION · SIGNAL · SHOT LIST
Capture
CONTRIBUTOR ON LOCATION
Review
GEOFENCE · EXIF · NO PEOPLE
Archive
SEARCHABLE BY PIN & DATE
License
PACK · API · CSV
✕ Rejected
PERSON IN FRAME · BAD GPS · DUPLICATE
A person in frame is an automatic reject. We don’t blur them — we don’t keep the photo.
04 / HOW
Four steps, then you’re set.
No long onboarding. Missions go out, captures come back, buyers license what they need.
STEP 01
Mission
We publish a brief for a place that matters — a region, one signal, a shot list, a payout.
mission › atx_irrigation_ctrl
area · 1.2 km² · shots · 5
payout · $4 / approved
STEP 02
Capture
A contributor walks it and shoots the brief. Places and equipment only — no people, ever.
upload › IMG_2841.heic
gps · 30.2672, −97.7431 · ±6m
captured_at · 2026-03-11 10:24
STEP 03
Review
We check the geofence, the EXIF, and the frame. Anything off-brief or with a person in it is out.
checks › geofence ✓ · exif ✓
faces · none detected ✓
status · approved
STEP 04
License
Buyers license the pack. Labels get added for the categories buyers keep asking about.
license › pack_tx_irrigation_q1
photos · 212 · research use
delivery · API + CSV
05 / WHY
Why not satellites, street cars, or cameras.
Not a hit-piece. Just where we differ from the other ways people try to see the physical world.
| Capability | MapWhisper | Satellite & aerial | Street imagery | Venue cameras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reads labels at eye level | Yes | No | Rarely | Only in frame |
| Coverage without installing hardware | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Refresh when you ask for it | Missions, on demand | Scheduled passes | Years apart | Continuous, one site |
| People-free by policy | Always | n/a | Blurred | No |
| Licensed for research & intel | Yes | Restricted | Restricted | Private |
| Change tracking at one pin | Built in | Roof level only | No | Single site |
06 / ACCESS
Two ways in.
Private alpha is open for buyers and for people who like walking their city.
FOR BUYERS
License ground truth
Regional packs, standing subscriptions, and custom missions. Structured labels once you tell us the schema — photos first, intelligence when you define it.
- Photo packs by region & category
- Custom missions on demand
- API + CSV delivery
FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Get paid to look
Take missions near you, shoot the brief on your usual walk, and get paid for every photo that clears review.
- Clear, geofenced missions
- Fast payouts per approved photo
- Reputation tiers for faster review
07 / FAQ
Questions we get a lot.
Do you photograph people?
No — never. Captures are places, signage, and equipment. A photo with a person in frame is rejected in review, not blurred and kept.
Is this surveillance?
No. We document how places are set up and how that changes. We don’t follow individuals, run live feeds, or sell to anyone building a watchlist. Repeat visits are scheduled by pin, not by person.
Why photos first, and intelligence later?
Because nobody can tell you what they’ll pay for until they see the raw thing. We let demand shape the schema — then we enrich the categories buyers keep coming back for.
Can’t AI cameras or sensors do this instead?
A fixed camera needs permission, power, and a spot to mount — and then it only ever sees one doorway. A field network covers a whole district this week and a different one next week, at eye level, where the labels are.
Where can contributors shoot?
Public space, or private property with permission. No interiors without consent, and nothing in restricted or “no photography” areas.
Ready to take a reading?
Private alpha. Tell us your region and the signal you care about — we read every response.
Or just email us — hi@mapwhisper.ai