# Drone Tasking Manager
**Wikidata**: [Q132804727](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132804727)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/drone-tasking-manager

## Summary
Drone Tasking Manager (DroneTM) is an open-source software tool and subproject of OpenStreetMap designed to coordinate drone imagery tasks. Owned by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, it functions as a specialized tasking manager to facilitate the organization and execution of mapping activities using drone data.

## Key Facts
- **Aliases:** DroneTM
- **Instance of:** Tasking manager, Open-source software, OpenStreetMap subproject
- **Owner:** Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team
- **Parent Project:** OpenStreetMap
- **Website:** https://dronetm.org/
- **Source Code:** Hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/hotosm/drone-tm
- **License:** Open-source (Libre access to source code)
- **Copyright Status:** Copyrighted
- **Issue Tracker:** https://github.com/hotosm/drone-tm/issues

## FAQs
### Q: Who owns and maintains the Drone Tasking Manager?
A: The Drone Tasking Manager is owned by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. It operates as a subproject within the broader OpenStreetMap ecosystem.

### Q: Is the Drone Tasking Manager software free to use?
A: Yes, it is classified as open-source software. This means users are free to use and redistribute it under its permissive license, which provides libre access to the original source code.

### Q: Where can developers find the source code or report issues?
A: The source code is available in the HOT repository on GitHub (github.com/hotosm/drone-tm), and technical issues can be tracked via the associated issues page.

## Why It Matters
The Drone Tasking Manager plays a pivotal role in the humanitarian mapping sector by bridging the gap between raw drone data and actionable geospatial intelligence. As a subproject of OpenStreetMap, it addresses the specific logistical challenges of processing high-resolution aerial imagery captured by drones. While standard satellite imagery covers large areas, drone data provides the granular detail necessary for disaster response, refugee settlement mapping, and infrastructure monitoring.

By operating as a tasking manager, the software divides complex imagery processing into manageable tasks, preventing editing conflicts and allowing multiple contributors to work simultaneously on a single dataset with efficiency. This coordination is vital for the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), which relies on a global network of volunteers and professionals. Furthermore, its status as open-source software democratizes access to this technology, allowing humanitarian organizations, researchers, and local communities to adapt the tool for their specific regional needs without restrictive licensing costs. It ensures that the detailed data collected by drones translates rapidly into updated, accurate maps that aid workers rely on for decision-making.

## Notable For
- **Specialized Focus:** It is a distinct tasking manager specifically tailored for drone imagery, distinguishing it from general-purpose satellite imagery tasking managers.
- **Integration:** It is an official OpenStreetMap subproject, ensuring seamless integration with the world's largest open geospatial database.
- **Open Accessibility:** The platform is committed to the open-source philosophy, providing a permissive license that allows for the free use, redistribution, and inspection of source code.
- **Humanitarian Mandate:** It is uniquely owned and operated by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, aligning its technical roadmap with humanitarian aid and development goals.

## Body

### Organizational Structure
Drone Tasking Manager is a key component of the OpenStreetMap ecosystem, classified as a subproject under the main mapping initiative. The project is owned and operated by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT). This ownership aligns the tool's development and deployment with humanitarian objectives, supporting crisis response and community development through improved geographic data.

### Technical Platform and Licensing
The software is defined strictly as **open-source software**. It operates under a license that grants users libre access to the original source code, permitting use and redistribution in its current state. While the software is copyrighted, the open classification ensures transparency and community collaboration.

**Repository and Development:**
The technical backbone of the project is hosted publicly to foster collaboration and transparency.
- **Source Code Repository:** https://github.com/hotosm/drone-tm
- **Issue Tracking:** Development issues and bug reports are managed via the GitHub issues page at https://github.com/hotosm/drone-tm/issues.

### Access and Identity
The platform is accessible to the public and mappers via its official web portal, **https://dronetm.org/**. Within the community and technical documentation, it is frequently referred to by its shorthand alias, **DroneTM**. The project is characterized as an **instance of** a "tasking manager," a category of software designed to distribute and manage workloads across distributed teams of mappers.