Walking Through Time 2

Title

Walking Through Time 2

Acronym

WTT2

Duration

April – September 2010

Website

Summary

Walking Through Time (first phase) was a simple idea: "SatNav for historical maps"; a phone app that combines GPS technology with old maps to allow users to "walk through time".

Developed to a working prototype available on all GPS-enabled smart phones for Edinburgh only, the original application caught the imagination of academics, geographers and historians worldwide with citations including: Herald Scotland, 3 January 2010; The Times Higher Educational Supplement, 14 January 2010; Edinburgh Journal, 20 January 2010; and The Australian Horizon Report on Emerging Technologies, Winter 2010.

The attraction is simple: time travel, and the opportunity to navigate places through using old maps. Whilst the team anticipated that the idea was strong, little did we think that it would be so effective in encouraging wide audiences to want to access historical maps through their phones.

This extension second phase of the Walking Through Time project concentrates upon developing a sustainable platform to allow us to roll out the application across Britain via the most popular smart phone platform. The second phase (WTT2) will allow us to develop the application natively for the iPhone (rather than as a web app) and to undertake testing and evalutaion testing during the Edinburgh Festival 2010.

Project Deliverables

  1. An iPhone App available for download on the UK App Store for 3G and 3GS.
  2. A simple, but very public facing website that shifts the emphasis from an academic project to an exciting, fun but historically relevant product.
  3. A refreshed approach to marketing will focus upon public dissemination and engagement. With Edinburgh-based news, radio and television that is directly connected to the festival, and also national news including the BBC "Pods and Blogs" radio feature, Wired, Engadget etc.
  4. Acquisition and usage of the application will be monitored through tracking statistical data relating to downloads and time spent accessing the maps.

EDINA Contacts

James Reid

Partnerships

University of Edinburgh Information Services Division

Edinburgh College of Art

National Library of Scotland

Landmark Information Group

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