One of the most ambitious and exciting big data projects ever conceived kicks off today, with the launch of a new smartphone application that encourages people across the world to take part and share their thoughts and ideas on what it means to be human.

The Human Face of Big Data project, led by world-renowned photojournalist Rick Smolan, is unique in that, while big data is its central theme, the focus is not so much on the data itself, but more on the people who generate and use that data.

For anyone interested in understanding data and what it can tell them about their lives, the Human Face of Big Data application is sure to be a real eye-opener, allowing them to map their daily routines, thoughts and rituals, and gain clear insights into the basic tenets that define our lives: love, dreams, family, friendship, sleep, sex and trust.

Individuals are needed to contribute and provide the answers, but the real insights will be derived from the whole collective that takes part, with users being able to compare their lives with those of millions of people across the world.

Passively, smartphones will collect data in numerous ways, measuring how far people travel and how fast they go, when they’re most active and so on.

But it’s the participation that will excite most users and generate the most insightful data – each day the app will ask a series of personal questions on topics including Me and Myself; Sleep and Dreams; Sex and Dating; Trust and Safety; and Family.

Users are also invited to take part in dozens of fun activities, such as Map my World, which maps people’s daily travel patterns; Lucky Me, which involves sharing and comparing lucky rituals; and Data Doppelganger, perhaps the most exciting of all activities, which attempts to pair users with their closest ‘data match’, based on the answers they provide and their daily activities.

Rick Smolan and his team at Against All Odds Productions plan to present visualize and interpret findings at a series of invitation-only Mission Control events, taking place in New York, London and Singapore on October 2.

The Human Face of Big Data app is available to download now on Android, with the iOS version expected to be released very soon. Alternatively you can check out the official project website for more information.