Sightline

Geospatial infrastructure intelligence platform for discovering and analyzing physical-world assets using OpenStreetMap data.

Overview

Sightline enables searching, monitoring, and analyzing real-world infrastructure including:

Telecommunications towers
Power plants and substations
Data centers
Airports and helipads
Ports and harbours
Warehouses and industrial facilities
Pipelines and refineries
Military installations
Hospitals, prisons, embassies

Architecture

flowchart TB
    subgraph Frontend
        SearchBar
        Filters
        ResultList
        MapView["MapView (Leaflet.js)"]
    end

    subgraph Backend
        route["route.ts"]
        parser["parser.ts (NLP)"]
        geo["geo.ts (Nominatim)"]
        overpass["overpass.ts (OSM)"]
        cache["cache.ts"]
    end

    subgraph External["External APIs"]
        Nominatim["Nominatim (Geocoding)"]
        OverpassAPI["Overpass API (OSM Data)"]
    end

    Frontend -->|POST /api/search| route
    route --> parser
    route --> geo
    route --> overpass
    route --> cache
    geo --> Nominatim
    overpass --> OverpassAPI

Data Sources

OpenStreetMap

All infrastructure data comes from OpenStreetMap, a collaborative mapping project. OSM data is crowd-sourced and may contain inaccuracies or gaps.

Nominatim

Geographic resolution uses the Nominatim geocoding service to convert place names to bounding boxes and coordinates.

Overpass API

Infrastructure queries execute against the Overpass API, which provides read-only access to OSM data.

Query Syntax

Natural Language

telecom towers in karnataka
power plants near mumbai
data centers in california
airports in germany

Structured Queries

type:telecom operator:airtel region:karnataka
type:data_center operator:google
type:substation region:texas
type:airport country:france

Supported Parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
`type:`	Asset type	`type:power_plant`
`operator:`	Operator/owner	`operator:google`
`region:`	State/region	`region:bavaria`
`country:`	Country	`country:india`
`near:`	Proximity search	`near:london`
`radius:`	Search radius (km)	`radius:100`

Supported Asset Types

Energy & Power

Type	Aliases	Description
`power_plant`	`powerplant`	Power generation facilities
`substation`	-	Electrical substations
`transformer`	-	Power transformers
`power_line`	-	High voltage power lines
`power_pole`	-	Power distribution poles
`solar`	-	Solar farms and panels
`wind`	-	Wind farms and turbines
`nuclear`	`nuclear_site`	Nuclear power plants
`hydroelectric`	-	Hydroelectric plants
`geothermal`	-	Geothermal plants
`coal`	-	Coal power plants
`gas_power`	-	Gas power plants
`oil_power`	-	Oil power plants
`biogas`	-	Biogas plants
`biomass`	-	Biomass plants
`tidal`	-	Tidal power plants

Telecommunications

Type	Aliases	Description
`telecom`	`tower`	Telecom towers
`antenna`	-	Antennas
`mast`	-	Communication masts
`cell_tower`	-	Mobile cell towers
`radio_tower`	-	Radio transmission towers
`broadcast_tower`	-	TV/Radio broadcast towers
`satellite_dish`	-	Satellite dishes
`telephone_exchange`	-	Telephone exchanges
`data_center`	`datacenter`	Data centers

Oil, Gas & Mining

Type	Aliases	Description
`refinery`	-	Oil refineries
`pipeline`	-	Pipelines
`oil_well`	-	Oil extraction wells
`gas_well`	-	Gas extraction wells
`storage_tank`	-	Fuel/liquid storage tanks
`silo`	-	Storage silos
`gasometer`	-	Gas storage tanks
`quarry`	`mine`	Quarries and mines
`landfill`	-	Landfill sites
`scrap_yard`	-	Scrap yards

Water & Utilities

Type	Aliases	Description
`water_tower`	-	Water towers
`water_treatment`	-	Water treatment plants
`wastewater`	`sewage`, `sewage_plant`	Wastewater plants
`dam`	-	Dams
`reservoir`	-	Reservoirs
`pumping_station`	-	Water pumping stations
`water_well`	-	Water wells

Aviation

Type	Aliases	Description
`airport`	-	Airports
`helipad`	-	Helipads
`airfield`	-	Military/private airfields
`runway`	-	Airport runways
`taxiway`	-	Airport taxiways
`terminal`	-	Airport terminals
`hangar`	-	Aircraft hangars

Maritime

Type	Aliases	Description
`port`	`seaport`	Ports and seaports
`harbour`	-	Harbours
`ferry_terminal`	-	Ferry terminals
`marina`	-	Marinas
`shipyard`	-	Shipyards
`dock`	-	Docks
`lighthouse`	-	Lighthouses

Rail & Transit

Type	Aliases	Description
`train_station`	-	Train stations
`railyard`	`rail_yard`	Rail yards
`metro`	-	Metro/subway stations
`tram_stop`	-	Tram stops
`halt`	-	Railway halts
`level_crossing`	-	Level crossings
`bus_station`	-	Bus stations
`parking`	-	Parking facilities
`toll_booth`	-	Toll booths
`weigh_station`	-	Truck weigh stations

Structures

Type	Aliases	Description
`bridge`	-	Bridges
`tunnel`	-	Tunnels
`cooling_tower`	-	Cooling towers
`chimney`	-	Industrial chimneys
`crane`	-	Cranes
`windmill`	-	Windmills
`watermill`	-	Watermills
`clock_tower`	-	Clock towers
`bell_tower`	-	Bell towers

Industrial & Commercial

Type	Aliases	Description
`warehouse`	-	Warehouses
`factory`	-	Factories
`industrial`	-	Industrial zones
`works`	-	Industrial works
`depot`	-	Depots
`brewery`	-	Breweries
`distillery`	-	Distilleries
`sawmill`	-	Sawmills
`slaughterhouse`	-	Slaughterhouses
`recycling_plant`	`recycling`	Recycling plants

Military & Defense

Type	Aliases	Description
`military`	-	Military installations
`bunker`	-	Bunkers
`barracks`	-	Military barracks
`naval_base`	-	Naval bases
`range`	-	Firing/shooting ranges
`checkpoint`	-	Military checkpoints
`radar`	-	Radar installations

Government & Public Safety

Type	Aliases	Description
`embassy`	-	Embassies
`courthouse`	-	Courthouses
`townhall`	-	Town halls
`government`	-	Government offices
`customs`	-	Customs offices
`tax_office`	-	Tax offices
`border_control`	-	Border control points
`police`	-	Police stations
`fire_station`	-	Fire stations
`prison`	-	Prisons
`ambulance_station`	-	Ambulance stations
`rescue_station`	-	Rescue stations
`coast_guard`	-	Coast guard stations

Education & Research

Type	Aliases	Description
`school`	-	Schools
`university`	-	Universities
`college`	-	Colleges
`kindergarten`	-	Kindergartens
`driving_school`	-	Driving schools
`research`	-	Research institutes
`library`	-	Libraries

Healthcare

Type	Aliases	Description
`hospital`	-	Hospitals
`clinic`	-	Clinics
`pharmacy`	-	Pharmacies
`dentist`	-	Dental practices
`veterinary`	-	Veterinary clinics
`nursing_home`	-	Nursing homes
`hospice`	-	Hospices
`blood_bank`	-	Blood banks

Culture & Entertainment

Type	Aliases	Description
`museum`	-	Museums
`theatre`	-	Theatres
`cinema`	-	Cinemas
`stadium`	-	Stadiums
`sports_centre`	-	Sports centres
`swimming_pool`	-	Swimming pools
`golf_course`	-	Golf courses
`racetrack`	-	Racetracks
`ice_rink`	-	Ice rinks

Tourism & Leisure

Type	Aliases	Description
`hotel`	-	Hotels
`campsite`	-	Campsites
`caravan_site`	-	Caravan sites
`theme_park`	-	Theme parks
`zoo`	-	Zoos
`aquarium`	-	Aquariums
`viewpoint`	-	Viewpoints
`attraction`	-	Tourist attractions

Religious

Type	Aliases	Description
`church`	-	Churches
`mosque`	-	Mosques
`temple`	-	Temples
`synagogue`	-	Synagogues
`place_of_worship`	-	General places of worship
`cemetery`	-	Cemeteries

Historic

Type	Aliases	Description
`monument`	-	Monuments
`memorial`	-	Memorials
`castle`	-	Castles
`fort`	-	Forts
`ruins`	-	Ruins
`archaeological_site`	-	Archaeological sites
`observatory`	-	Observatories

Agriculture

Type	Aliases	Description
`farm`	-	Farms
`greenhouse`	-	Greenhouses
`orchard`	-	Orchards
`vineyard`	-	Vineyards

Services

Type	Aliases	Description
`bank`	-	Banks
`atm`	-	ATMs
`post_office`	-	Post offices
`fuel`	`gas_station`, `petrol`	Fuel stations
`charging_station`	-	EV charging stations

Development

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+
npm

Setup

npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

Project Structure

app/
├── page.tsx              # Main application page
├── layout.tsx            # Root layout
├── globals.css           # Global styles
└── api/
    └── search/
        └── route.ts      # Search API endpoint

components/
├── SearchBar.tsx         # Query input
├── Filters.tsx           # Filter sidebar
├── ResultList.tsx        # Results display
└── MapView.tsx           # Leaflet map

lib/
├── types.ts              # Type definitions
├── parser.ts             # Query parsing and NLP
├── geo.ts                # Nominatim integration
├── overpass.ts           # Overpass API queries
└── cache.ts              # In-memory caching

Deployment

Vercel

npm install -g vercel
vercel

Environment Variables

No environment variables required. The application uses public OpenStreetMap APIs.

API Rate Limits

Nominatim: 1 request/second (enforced by Nominatim usage policy)
Overpass API: Fair use, avoid heavy queries

Responsible Use

This tool accesses publicly available OpenStreetMap data. Users must:

Respect OpenStreetMap's tile usage policy
Respect Nominatim usage policy
Respect Overpass API usage policy
Not use this tool for illegal surveillance or harmful purposes
Acknowledge that OSM data may be incomplete or inaccurate
Not perform bulk automated queries that overload public infrastructure

The presence or absence of infrastructure in OSM should not be taken as authoritative. Always verify critical information through official sources.

License

MIT

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 21 Commits
app		app
components		components
lib		lib
public		public
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
eslint.config.mjs		eslint.config.mjs
next.config.ts		next.config.ts
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
postcss.config.mjs		postcss.config.mjs
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

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Sightline

Overview

Architecture

Data Sources

OpenStreetMap

Nominatim

Overpass API

Query Syntax

Natural Language

Structured Queries

Supported Parameters

Supported Asset Types

Energy & Power

Telecommunications

Oil, Gas & Mining

Water & Utilities

Aviation

Maritime

Rail & Transit

Structures

Industrial & Commercial

Military & Defense

Government & Public Safety

Education & Research

Healthcare

Culture & Entertainment

Tourism & Leisure

Religious

Historic

Agriculture

Services

Development

Prerequisites

Setup

Project Structure

Deployment

Vercel

Environment Variables

API Rate Limits

Responsible Use

License

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