Grant Hergenroeder, Koushik Thiyagarajan, Tyler Grove, Valine Uzoukwu, Griffin Anderson, Sambit Sahoo
Discover the world through the lens of time with TIMELINE, a revolutionary web application born out of our passion for connecting people through geolocated and time-stamped images. TIMELINE offers users a unique experience by curating region- and time-specific photos upon request. It is a platform for individuals seeking to share experiences and explore both familiar and unfamiliar locations. As the culmination of our software engineering class, TIMELINE is not just a platform; it's an experience that transcends boundaries, offering a unique perspective on how places evolve.
TIMELINE was created with several key features in mind that set it apart from the competition. Using our platform, users can upload singular photos, specifying the metadata and region for them, or multiple photos to various regions. We also offer the ability for users to create regions that are up to 100 miles by 100 miles. Users can also view a map of a verified region with markers pointed in the direction the image was taken, denoting verified photo uploads. Lastly, users can define a specific time window within a verified region map, allowing them to exclusively view images captured within that designated timeframe.
Single Image Upload
Multiple Image Upload
Region Creation
Map with Markers
Timeline Scroller
TIMELINE caters to a diverse audience, bridging the gap between the general population and professionals. From individuals seeking to build communities by sharing personal experiences to researchers documenting changes in a local environment, TIMELINE connects people with a shared interest in time and place.
Users who upload images on our site can provide different perspectives to those who are interested. Additionally, the experiences users share facilitate connection and community building through our platform. For example, a concertgoer sharing her favorite pictures from a concert venue or a university graduate interested in sharing his study spot on campus are all potential use cases that align with such users. Furthermore, users that fall into the general population can elect to use TIMELINE to glean information on how different regions can change over time. Think of someone viewing how their hometown has changed over time.
Similarly, TIMELINE satisfies the needs of researchers and professionals. With TIMELINE such individuals can examine locations with respect to time or perspective. For example, an environmental scientist is interested in documenting the changes made to a local pond over time, or a construction site manager is interested in viewing the progress of housing developments from different angles.
TIMELINE is not just an application; it's a journey through time and space. Our interactive mapping features and timeline functionalities enable users to visually traverse different places, fostering community building and facilitating research. Whether you're a student documenting historical events or a community member sharing experiences, TIMELINE brings value by providing a platform to learn, connect, and understand.
Competitors: In this section, we want to discuss potential applications that perform similar functions to Timeline. We want to identify competitors that use photo locations in their platforms and how they use that information. This section will also recognize some of these platform shortcomings that Timeline hopes to solve.
Instagram allows a user to add a location to an uploaded photo. From here, a user can view a location and see all the photos with the tag.
Shortcomings: A user chooses the location. I can say the location is at the Navy Stadium when it could have been taken at the University of Maryland. Also, the photos are organized by when they were uploaded to Instagram, not when the photo was taken. If I took a photo on October 12th but uploaded it to Instagram on October 13th. Instagram will say the photo was taken on October 13th, when that's not accurate.
This application is used to take uploaded photos and combine them into a single model. An example would be taking thousands of photos of a city and then turning them into a single, cohesive model.
Shortcomings: This application is focused on a single point in time. It is great if you want to view a location at one time, but it does not allow you to view the changes to a location over the course of days, months, or years. This application also does not take into account the directionality of a photo, so you don't know if you have a photo from every direction.
