Why we built it
MapGenie was built for Thales UK, a leading defence and technology company, as our University of Glasgow team project. Our client, a senior software engineer at Thales, wanted a proof-of-concept he could show to senior management. The goal was to prove that an AI-powered, natural language interface could make map creation in QGIS much faster.
The problem
QGIS is powerful, open-source mapping software, but getting data into it is slow. Users have to find the right data, format it and import it by hand before they can even start building a map.
In defence and security work, there is another problem. Maps are often needed in the field or in secure places where there is no internet access, so the map has to work fully offline.
The idea
With MapGenie, you simply type what you want to see, such as "Parks in Glasgow" or "Police stations in Edinburgh". The app finds the data, styles it, and opens a ready-made map in QGIS. No manual data preparation is needed.
How it works:
- The user types a request in plain English.
- AI (GPT-4o-mini) turns it into an Overpass QL query.
- The query pulls matching data from OpenStreetMap as GeoJSON.
- The data is styled and opened as layers in QGIS.
Key features
- Natural language search - ask for places in plain English instead of writing queries by hand.
- Radius-based queries - search around a point, such as "Cafes within 1 km of Glasgow Central".
- 10 map themes - choose a base map such as OSM Bright, Positron, Dark Matter, MapTiler 3D or MapTiler Terrain.
- Layer styling - line patterns and solid colour fills, styled to match the chosen base map.
- Multiple layers - combine several searches on one map, each with a clear, informative layer name.
- One-click QGIS - open the finished map in QGIS with all styling in place.
- Offline map packages - download only the area you are viewing as vector tiles, then export the whole project as a ZIP file. It opens on any computer with QGIS, even without internet.
- Flexible area matching - pick between OpenStreetMap boundaries (more precise) or bounding boxes (broader).
- User accounts - sign in with email or Google.
- Desktop app - available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Impact
- Under a minute - from typing a question to a styled map open in QGIS, with no manual data sourcing.
- Works anywhere - offline packages make maps usable in the field and in secure, offline environments.
- Easy to use - no GIS or query-writing knowledge is needed to get started.
- Award-winning - won the Grow Prize (Best Idea) and the Level 3 Honours Team Project Prize.
My role
I was Lead Software Developer and Lead Demonstrator in a team of six. I led the system architecture, guided work across the front end, back end and AI, and presented every client demonstration to Thales.