Quickstart

Welcome to Visym Collector!

Collector is a mobile app for collecting consented and privacy preserving datasets for AI applications. We pay collectors like you to download our mobile app to submit "collections", which are videos with labeled activities and objects used for training visual AI. You are paid for each submission you make, based on the quality and quantity of your collections. Your submissions will be used by machine learning researchers around the world for improving computer vision.

Here are the steps to get started:

  • You will receive an invitation email from the Collector team with helpful information.
  • Download and install the app on your device.
  • Try out the "practice" collections. You can submit as many test videos as you like to practice using the app.
  • Start collecting using the app!

A few tips up front:

  • Read the collection description closely.
  • Choose a new location and set of clothes for recording each day.
  • Record in the required illumination, camera viewpoint or actor pose as described in the description.
  • Watch the example videos and record more just like that.
  • Make sure the foreground rectangle is tight and centered around the object.
  • Try to do the activities differently each time.

Useful links:

  • Refer to the FAQ for answers to common questions about payments and reviews.
  • Join the community for important announcements from the Collector team.
  • Access your dashboard. Log in using the same email and password you use for the app.

Getting Started

  • Apple / iOS. This app requires at least iPhone 6s as the minimum device requirement.
  • Android. This app requires at least Android 7.0 as the minimum OS requirement. You will receive a notification on the Google Play Store if your device is incompatible.

Create an Account

Collector sign-up screen Collector account information entry Collector email verification
  1. Click "Sign Up".
  2. Enter your information. Please use the same email address that received your onboarding email.
  3. Check your email for a verification link, and click on it. If you did not receive it, double check that it did not go to your spam/junk folder.
  4. Log in using the email and password you created.

Choose a Collection and Get Set Up With Your Subject

  1. Select "Projects".
  2. Pick a project. Each project has basically the same requirements - if you can do one of the collections in a project, you should be able to do most of them.
  3. Pick a collection from that project. This is what we pay for: a video shot for each collection. Make sure you have a plan (and a friend if needed) to perform the collection in the description. Check the collection definitions (in-app) if you're uncertain.
  4. Some collections require consent. Have your friend enter their email and consent to release video with them in it for use in AI training. This will involve answering several quick questions and recording a consent video.

Read the Description and Watch the Training Video

Each collection has a written description that describes the collection we require. At the bottom of the description, we include the following fields:

  • Box Around: The object that you should put the foreground box around using the recording UI.
  • Actor Pose: The relative position of the actor to the camera. For example, you may be asked to record the actor so that they are facing away from you, or so that the actor is sitting or standing.
  • Camera Viewpoint: The relative position of the camera to the actor. For example, you may be asked to record from a "security" viewpoint, like you are a security camera in the corner of the room, or a "first person" viewpoint like you are recording a video for social media.
  • Style: An adverb that describes how your subject should perform an activity, such as "scared" or "excited".
  • Joint Activity: An activity that should be performed at the same time as the primary activity. For example, talk on a cell phone while walking.
  • Location: Where the activity should be recorded, such as indoors vs. outdoors.
  • Illumination: The lighting condition for the activity, such as "sunlight" or "shadowed".
  • Repeat: How many times you should repeat the activity in the video. Each activity should be separated by at least three seconds of your subject not performing the activity. For example, "repeat 2x" for the collection "Stand up and sit down" means that your subject should stand up/sit down twice in the submitted video.
  • Video Price: How much you will be paid in USD for submitting a verified video of this collection.

Most collections have training videos. Watch the video and try to replicate it as closely as you can.

Consent Your Subject

We require that any subject with their face visible gives us permission to use their videos for the purpose of visual AI research. Please make sure your subject reads the consent form thoroughly and provides informed consent for the use of their video. We document this informed consent by the answers to the consent questionnaire by your subject and a video recording of the subject consenting to the video collection.

Record, Review and Submit a Video

Recording controls in the Collector app Reviewing a recorded video in the Collector app Submitted videos list in the Collector app
  1. Record an example of the collection. Look at the recording controls for guides - we suggest you practice using the UI before trying to submit a video. We also recorded a tutorial video.
  2. Review your video. Each of the labels should appear when the activity is being performed. If you're satisfied, press submit; if you're not, hit "try again" (upper-right) or return-to-collection (upper-left) to leave without submitting.
  3. Within a few minutes, the videos tab will populate with your video. This is how you know we got it - you can select it to watch it.
  4. Within a day, this collection will show up in your dashboard with a review and payment status.

Recording Controls

Foreground box and zoom controls Activity labeling buttons
  • Adjust the "Foreground": You'll see that some of your screen is grayed out, and one rectangle is clear. We call this rectangle the "foreground" of the video - it should frame where the activity is happening. This rectangle is always centered in the middle of your screen; to change its shape, press and drag one of the corners.
  • Change the Zoom: If something is happening far away, you might need to zoom to be able to adjust the foreground precisely. Use the standard pinch-out and pinch-in gestures to zoom in and out. Once you start recording, don't change the zoom level.
  • Start Recording: Press the circular "Start" button to start recording your video.
  • Labeling Activities: Each collection comes with a list of activities to perform - each of those is a button at the bottom of your screen. You can swipe left and right to see more buttons.
    • When an activity starts, press the button corresponding to that activity and it will turn gold.
    • When the activity stops, press the button again and it will turn off.
    • Pressing the button to start a second activity will automatically stop the previous activity.
    • Tapping anywhere on the screen will change the active activity to the "next" one - the one to the right of the current activity.
    • Double tapping anywhere on the screen will turn off the current activity. Double tapping a second time will resume the current activity.
  • Stopping Recording: Press the "Start" button, now labeled "Stop". This will end video collection and move to review. Each video can be at most 45 seconds; if the video length reaches 45 seconds, recording will stop automatically.
  • Submit: After you are done recording, the app will show you your video. Select the "submit" button to upload it to us.

Collection Acceptance Criteria

Every video will be reviewed by multiple reviewers. We will accept up to one video for each collection per day. Reviewers will look to see if it passes the following criteria:

  • If there is a required viewpoint:
    • For a top-down perspective for security video, stand on something if indoors, or look out a window or from a balcony if outdoors. The phone should be 6+ meters higher than the person/vehicle it's recording.
  • If there is an activity, the person performing the activity should be somewhat far away from the camera:
    • Stand 4+ meters away if indoors.
    • Stand at least 10 meters away if outdoors.
  • The foreground box is tight around the primary object (e.g. person, car, head, building).
  • The activities that are being performed are recognizable.
    • If you are "sitting down", but you're hidden behind a wall, it's not recognizable.
    • If you're "sitting down", but it's pitch black and you're wearing black clothing, it's not recognizable.
  • The scene this video is taken in has not been used on a previous day.
  • Your thumb isn't over the camera and there isn't too much glare.

The reviews will be available in your collector dashboard, which you should have received in your welcome email. If not, contact us at collector@visym.com. The descriptions of each of the review reasons are summarized in the FAQ.

Video Editing

You may edit a video using the in-app video editor to correct boxes or timing. Here is a video editor tutorial.

Tips and Tricks

  • When you are just getting started, we recommend submitting just one or two videos and then waiting for feedback from the review team. This will allow you to get feedback on improving your submissions without investing too much time in videos that are going to be rejected due to an easily correctable issue.
  • Once you get the hang of it, you may submit additional collections, subject to the rate limits in your onboarding email.
  • If you do not have the collections in-app, wait 2-4 hours and then check back.

Safety

Your safety and privacy are our primary concerns. When collecting, please be aware of your surroundings and potential hazards such as moving vehicles or unstable ground. When collecting from a required viewpoint, use proper safety precautions.

Contact

info@visym.com

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