The best data annotation and management tool 

‘What is the best data annotation and management platform for you?’

Since I engage in data preparation for ML/AI, I still haven’t had the opportunity to use a platform that offers all the tools in one place.

My data management workflow typically begins by importing collecting images into my favorite annotation tools like CVAT, LabelMe, SuperAnnotate. Once the labeling is complete, I convert the annotation results from JSON to CSV for annotation validation and push them to a database. CSV files integrate well with Pandas and Pydantic, making metadata cleaning and validation more efficient. To summarize and present the data’s readiness on a dashboard like Redash and add some annotation examples on images usually with OpenCV.

I wish that best data annotation and management platform include:

• direct access to images and metadata, with advanced filtering and grouping;

• annotation tool that supports not only ‘classic’ BB and polygons, but more complex annotation types or has an API for customization;

• post-visualisation and validation of annotations;

• extracting annotations in both JSON and CSV formats;

• data cleaning and validation pipelines;

• connecting to database and pushing results into the tables.

In my view, new data annotation and management platforms should not only incorporate the latest tech gains but also anticipate future needs. I believe that 'classic' annotation types will become less common (detect face with BB is now a routine task compared to a few years ago). On other hands, more specialized annotations such as ellipses are still not widely supported (it widely used annotation type of human eye, detection of which remains a challenge).

Additionally, it’s crucial for annotation platforms to integrate the latest AI solutions, advanced object detection, and integration of pre-trained models—to make the annotation process more efficient and time-saving.