by Brenda Arjona

Project Thrutime is an application to be used on smartphones, both iOS and android will support this app, that is meant to digitally transport you through time. Like other similar apps (DeTour, Layar, Rephoto), Thrutime is meant to be used while you are at a particular site, and its aim is to

ThruTime App

enhance your experience at that place by immersing you in the environment without the restrictions of time. You can digitally travel into the past through the various features that Thrutime has to offer.

Project Thrutime allows one to explore and experience the heritage and culture of a past place, in this case the Albany Bulb, by incorporating photography, audio, and virtual architecture. For example, you can use this app to do an audio tour, which has a more structured and guided feel to it. Another option is to just explore the various structures that existed at the bulb through photographs and sound. For frequent bulb-goers, there will also be an option that allows you to overlay your older photographs with the current scenery to see how things have changed. All of these features will incorporate GPS data and will track your location as you explore the bulb.

Example of older photo over current landscape

This project will draw in audiences of many ages and walks of life. The app can be experienced by former residents, community members, tourists, and even those who have sought to destroy the bulb can learn something from the app. Various stakeholders are included in these groups of people, but the goal is to not exclude people from having this experience. Our aim is that Thrutime is easy enough to use for those that may not be technologically savvy.

Thrutime will allow the intangible and tangible heritage to be accessible through one app and also to be salvaged and stored digitally for future generations to experience. Although time, along with the state’s developments and the city’s enforcements, will eventually transform the Albany Bulb into just another bay area park, sustainability will be achieved through the technological advancements and heritage preservation. We also plan to create a feature that allows anyone to contribute photography, audio, and video files from their experiences at the bulb, which will create a sustainable and evolving cache of heritage.

Lastly, there will be a feature in Thrutime that will allow app users to track their experience at the Albany Bulb and then save and upload a custom made “story-map” to Facebook.

Interactive Story-map

The story-map will incorporate photos and 20 second videos (like Snap-Chat) at specific checkpoints or landmarks, which the app user creates. This map will be interactive, so others will be able to click on checkpoints created by the user and view the photos/video associated with the checkpoints. The goal is to create an experience that can not only be easily shared on social media, but can be fun to talk about and might encourage more people to create their own unique story at the Albany Bulb, and hopefully keep the bulb alive for future generations.