Bluescape feasibility study.

mr.snow — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:39:35 +0000

In September we ran a complete slice test of a Bluetooth annotation system for the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. The aim is to annotate public artworks that scatter the site using Bluetooth instead of convention didactic panels (signage to the layman).

We used small form MicroClient SNR computers running Debian and some funky Python scripts. The system was quite polite – should you refuse any message it would leave you alone henceforth.

The Stride was the artwork we tested with. An installation depicting the final 100m of Cathy Freeman’s gold medal 400m sprint. We sent the public a text description, then a video of the race, finally an image of the site. Response was much better than expected given the public’s general suspicion of Bluetooth in general.

Rider Spoke preliminary work.

mr.snow — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:28:17 +0000

They needed to know that UK artist / gamesters Blast Theory could run their new game Rider Spoke in the area. Of course they could. It was a case of data-mapping the Rocks area – something we can do standing on our head.

We took an Eee PC connected to an old Garmin III running Kismet. Lid down. Earpiece pinging. Raining. Shoes with holes. I’m certainly glad the police didn’t tap me on the shoulder. Go rider!

We post-processed the logs in Python to generate Google Earth KML files depicting the coverage. For an old girl the Rocks is certainly rocking to the WiFi.

House of Laudanum » wifi

Bluescape feasibility study.

Rider Spoke preliminary work.