The document summarizes the Placebooks project, which allows users to create and share community-based maps of rural areas. It describes how current digital mapping focuses on urban areas, while Placebooks aims to map rural spaces. Users can sketch routes through the countryside and add GPS data, tags, and content. The system includes a web interface and mobile apps to access user-generated "placebooks" both online and offline. The goal is to better engage with rural communities and map unmapped rural spaces.

1. PRESENTED BY: ALAN CHAMBERLAIN FEBRUARY 2012

2. Abstract
Placebooks: Community-based trails
Dr Alan Chamberlain (Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham)
New developments in mobile, location and sensor-based or ‘ubiquitous’ computing now
make it possible for users to move beyond the urban fringes. They herald the expansion of
computing from cities into rural locations that have long been marginalised due to the
limitations of existing technology. Current digital mapping services largely focus on urban
environments with many systems offering rich street views of urban settings, but such views
of rural space are largely absent.Placebooks is a ‘toolkit’ that allows people to create and
share community-based maps that reflect their interests and concerns. For example, users
are able to sketch routes of their favourite pathways through the countryside. GPS data and
community content, relevant to different points on their route, can then augment these routes.
Tags and content can also be added to other users’ routes, adding to the overall body of
knowledge.
We will be giving a brief introduction to the project followed by a demonstration of the system.
For more information email: Alan.Chamberlain@Nottingham.ac.uk
This work was supported by the Research Councils UK (RCUK) [grant number – EP/I001816/1]

3. Hello!
I’M DR ALAN CHAMBERLAIN
I’m a Senior Research Fellow - I’m interested in
people and technology.
I WORK IN THE MIXED REALITY LAB
at Nottingham University, UK
THESE SLIDES ARE ONLINE
http://www.bridgingtheruraldivide.com
(bridging the rural divide dot com)

4. Project History
• Mixed Reality Lab
• Focus on Urban Experiences
• Rider Spoke - An Urban Experience

5. Bridging the Rural
Divide
• 18 month project – funded by RCUK
• Specific ‘Research in the Wild’ funding
• Partners – MRL University of Nottingham,
University of Swansea, OS, Countryside
Council Wales, Horizon (Notts)

6. Rural Spaces
• How are they different from urban spaces?
• What do people want to know and say? People
want to talk about their area and interests. People
are multi-dimensional.
• How do we engage with people? English and
Welsh, working in-field with people, grass roots
Inclusive Co-Design.
• What technologies exit or can enable us to do
this? 3G, Smart phones, Web.
• How can we map the unmapped? Many digital
mapping services are urban focused.

7. Where & What?
• Borth and Ynyslas (vistors centre)
• Used existing services and pulled them in.
Everytrail and Trails Cymru GPS trails. YNYSLAS NNR
• Worked with different people in the community -
(not just consultation), individuals and CCW
wardens, to create content - phones lent out.
Expanded to Ramblers and People’s Collection
innovation.
• Made prototypes and finally created a system that
could pull lots of media items together. People
could create and share something that could be
used on and off-line (no 3G), mobile and at home.

8. WHAT IS PLACEBOOKS?
place.books |pleys books|
verb [trans.]
1. To create books;
to narrate or describe a place you live in or wish to visit.
2. To make books using digital media.

9. WEB INTERFACE
www.placebooks.org

10. OVERVIEW OF THE EDITOR
EACH ELEMENT CAN BE GEO-LOCATED ON THE MAP - BOOK HAS A LOCATION

11. VIDEO DEMO

12. • SHARING BOOKS
Share published material
• Sharing encourages feedback!

13. SEARCHING FOR BOOKS

14. MOBILE APP
For Android and iPad

15. WHAT THE MOBILE APP DOES
A tool for accessing placebooks while ‘on the go’ and
being able to use features ‘in the wild’, in areas without
any data connectivity.

16. FEATURES
Downloaded Access your Search for
books online shelf nearby books

17. NAVIGATING THROUGH
BOOKS
Scroll up and down
Swipe left and right
between pages

18. INTERACTING WITH IMAGES

19. INTERACTING WITH VIDEO

20. INTERACTING WITH MAPS
- Cached OS Maps
- YAH marker (red pointer)
tracks where you are on
the map
- Geotagged media items
can be opened by clicking
on their icons (orange
camera icons)

21. IPAD VIDEO DEMO

22. WHAT NEXT?
• Working with People’s Collection Wales
• Add historical maps
• Internationalise - European languages
• Work with more partners