Communications of the ACM
Uw Mapping App Turns Art Into a Sharable Walking Route
A new app turns a digital sketch on a smartphone screen into a walking route that can be shared with others.
Credit: University of Washington
University of Washington (UW) researchers have developed Trace, an app that turns a digital sketch the user draws on a smartphone screen, such as a boat or a leaf, into a walking route that can be sent to another user.
The recipient tells the app how far they want to walk and the app produces step-by-step directions that eventually reveal the hidden shape on a map. The sender also can include audio recordings, images, or other messages that appear at specified locations along the route.
The app was designed to explore how geographical-information system mapping technology shapes how people experience the act of walking.
"For some people, it was a delight to find that slowing down allowed them to meet new people or see familiar sites in their neighborhood in new ways, but at the same time giving up that control was a stress for other folks who had a routine," says UW professor Daniela Rosner.
Trace forces walkers to give up control and just go where the app directs them, sometimes leading them into unfamiliar parts of a city.
Unlike other walking apps, Trace enables a user to start walking the route from any point in the city. The walker also can make the shape bigger or smaller by specifying how long the walk should last.
From University of Washington News and Information
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