Ubiquitous Digital Storytelling with Local and Dynamic Georeferencing of Analog Maps

Maps are important vehicles for storytelling. Although the ubiquity of current web-mapping services has contributed greatly to the creation of map-based content, these services have also imposed restrictions on map representation. Conventional analog maps are still being created and remain widely used. Some of the most well-designed analog maps are highly contextual, and they are as such more suitable for storytelling with related backgrounds. To utilize analog maps in location-aware mobile environments for storytelling, local and dynamic georeferencing, which attaches geospatial information to analog map images without distorting the maps or destroying their artistic designs, is introduced. A data format, extended from a popular GIS data standard, was designed for creating and sharing storytelling content more easily by permitting the attachment of multimedia resources to georeferenced map images. In cooperation with local communities, prototype applications were developed and tested in walking tours to assist in the creation and browsing of map-based storytelling content.