Info

Attention:

The Travel-Challenge is finished and we are very happy to announce that we won - thanks to your help. If you just recently stumbled upon our website you can read the text below to learn what's going on here.

At the menu item "Travel Route" you can find every town we send our objects to, including the videos that were filmed there. Additionally we made a final video that includes all these towns and a fancy music track. You can find this video at "YouTube" in the top menu bar or under this link.

Last but not least we are able to reveal the meaning of all the encrypted messages. You can find that at the menu item "Messages".

We hope you enjoy your stay on this website
- Team D

The old info text:

Are you planning a trip in the week 18.06. to 24.06.? Do you like participating in unprecedented, fresh (and possibly a bit crazy) events, meeting new people - put simply - would you like to experience something new? Or perhaps, you like to solve mysterious riddles, ponder upon cryptic messages or deal with strange and unusual languages?

If you have answered "YES" to any of these questions, then you are on the right spot! Read on and you will learn more.

WHO ARE WE??

We are one of two teams competing in the Travel Challenge. This Challenge is a challenge designed to be solved by teams (also) by the means of social-technical facilities. The challenge is held within the scope of subject Socio-technical Information Systems (Soziotechnische Informationssysteme) at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (instead of an exam - cool huh?).

The team consists of 6 students:

• Aleksandar Janoševic - comes from Germany, studies Applied Informatics
• Virginia Gómez de la Herrán - comes from Spain, currently doing Erasmus Mobility
• Matthias Michael - comes from Germany, studies Applied Informatics
• Julen Rodriguez Martin - comes from Spain, currently doing Erasmus Mobility
• Christian Schmid - comes from Germany, studies Applied Informatics
• Damian Vizár comes from Slovakia, currently doing Erasmus Mobility

WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON?

As mentioned above, this is a Travel Challenge between two teams (consisting of university students). Both teams have the same goal:

At the beginning of Challenge, each team gets a small object (toy duckie, ball, small box - we learn at the beginning of the challenge). Then, in throughout one week, this small object has to visit as many big towns (over 100 000 inhabitants) as possible. Each town visited counts only once, the further from Bochum, the better. As an evidence of this Traveling Object Being in the town, a short video (5+ sec) needs to be shot and sent to the team. Video must contain, clearly distinguishable, Travelling Object and some signifficant feature of the current town (also good distinguishable) And that's basically all! It doesn't matter how the objects travels, who makes the videos or where it ends up at the end!

To make things more interesting, apart from the initial Object (given to each team), there will be 4 bonus object at disposal during 4 days of the challenge (each a day), waiting hidden for the first team to find it! Once found, the same rules apply for these objects.

WHEN DOES THE WHOLE THING HAPPEN?

The challenge starts on ->18.6.2012(monday)<- in the morning. Since this day, the object can travel and should visit as many big towns as possible. The bonus objects will come in following days. Challenge will be over on ->24.6.2012<-.

OK, NOW EXACT RULES, PLEASE!

Each visited city counts only once for the team (so if the default object already visited a town, team will get no points for any of the bonus objects being in the same place. This also applies vice-versa and among the bonus objects). Each town counts for different number of points, depending on it's location:

• towns in NordRhein-Westfallen, Germany - 1 point
• towns in Germany - 2 points
• towns in Europe - 3/4 points (depending on distance e.g. Reikyavik=4)
• towns on different continents - 5 points

Team must present a video (5+ sec) with the object in the town (both good notable) for each town visited.  

"THAT'S ALL NICE, BUT WHERE DO I COME IN?!"

Very simple. Only one true condition is set: object must visit places, what is to be prooved by a video. That eiter means, that the 6 of us pack backpacks, and set of for a long trip with this Travelling Object ourselves (which would not be as efficient as second option), or we can ask you for a favour.

If you are travelling, at any time in the week 18.06 to 24.06, from any place to any destination, and most important, if you are willing to participate, there is a possibility, that you could help us. Only thing you'd have to do, is

• take the Travelling Object with you, wherever you are going
• shoot a video with the object and the town and upload it on this website (or send per email, if it's small)
• pass the object to another enthusiastic volunteer

As you see, it all won't occupy you for very long. In contrary you will

• participate in a modern project with no or little precedesors
• get to know new people, who are similarly keen on traveling, meeting people and having fun as you(when passing the object)
• get a chance to put some of your personality into whole thing.

There will be a small booklet travelling with the object - feel free to express your thoughts! (but be polite pls) You can also shoot the video to your liking - with you, your friends or any creative (but not insulting) content. Only condition is to make object and town recognisable. All of this only if you like, of course. You can remain anonymous and shrouded by the veil of mystery, if that is your wish.

If you feel like doing it, just let us know when you travel, from where you go and what is your destination, so we can plan a route for the object! If you do not travel, but like our project, just tell about us to your friends!

AND ABOUT THE ENIGMAS?

Well, yes, we forgot to mention. If you wondered if there is something protecting the bonus objects, you were right. For every bonus object, both teams will get the same instructions leading to the hidden object. The catch is, this message will be written in some unusual language (at least we were told so), which cannot be translated easily (by Google for example). So we could use any help, which could lead to deciphering these messages. The messages will appear as soon as we get them on this web. Should you have any clue about the used language, or if you will be able to translate it, don't hesitate and help us! Time is crucial!