2008 Songlines- was a collaborative research  proposal between the University of Bath, De Montfort University’s Institute of Creative Technologies, Sustrans and two media design companies. The project is an exemplar of subjective mapping, and was intended to work by upgrading current internet wiki-mapping technologies, combined with public databases to create mobile cycling/walkers maps, responsive to changes in the road environment using updates from end-user and public knowledge bases.

A combination of innovative mobile phone-based sensing software was designed to encourage and enhance the experience of cycling or walking in urban environments through the use of reliable location-specific mobile info-services (updateable maps and audio and rich media stream services) giving convenient infield access to better customised traveller information and to provide intelligent support with context-awareness to individual travellers.

On the basis of this investigation, Sustrans would commission virtual located artworks for the city for walkers and cyclists, which will be delivered by the location-sensing test infrastructure as rich-media audio-visuals. These artworks/ information layers would all be relevant to specific landmarks and locations on proposed routes.

The mobile phone based location-detection features will be used to update user’s positional information. Automated audiovisual casts of route directions and art/information would be uploaded in advance of the journey and be tagged to correlate against positions along the route and be triggered by positional data. Thus it is envisaged that both directional instructions and the rich media streams could be delivered to mobiles according to route progress.