BBC Innovation is joining forces with the University of Brighton, Nokia and mobile and web engagement company Ymogen, for a project that will explore how people might use mobile devices in the future to capture and share multimedia stories.
A group of MA Photography students at the University of Brighton has been chosen to push the boundaries of what is possible in putting together a piece of `citizen journalism or narrative using the latest mobile phones, GPS (Global Positioning Systems) devices and multimedia data.
Geo-stories is a BBC project exploring how content (video, pictures and text) combined with location and time information can most effectively be used to create interesting narrative or stories to help inform new formats of mobile and citizen journalism. The project kicks off this week and will continue until January, when the 18 students taking part will present their work in an online gallery which will be available to anyone to view on the web.
The project explores the rich capabilities of GPS and mobile devices. GPS provides not just location but also direction, velocity and elevation, while the mobile captures pictures, video, sound, and text. In combination, these allow the creation of more engaging stories from citizen journalists.
As an example, pictures and video captured from multiple devices around a sporting event can be mapped in time and space automatically, creating a rich view of the entire game from multiple perspectives.
“Were trying to understand the different ways that you might combine a variety of media with location information in order to create engaging stories using mobile devices says Ymogen CEO Mark Hardwick. This is an incredibly exciting project. Pushing the boundaries of possibilities like this is central to what we do as a business.”
The 18 students have each been equipped with a Nokia N-series  multimedia computer and a Garmin eTrex GPS device.Although the project is experimental, devices such as those being used by the students are becoming more widespread. It is expected that geolocation techniques will be used for creating improved local citizen journalism and sports event reporting in the near future.
“At BBC Innovation, our job is to expand the BBCs future media services, encourage awareness of trends in technology and social behaviour, and plan new products that will keep the BBC at the cutting-edge of new developments in media technology says Innovation Executive at BBC Innovation, Priya Prakash.