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Launching Expressive Data

This project aims to explore methods of data capture and visceralisation, using a variety of non-screen-based methods.
 
In Part One, my focus is data collection, where I explore how to design and build data loggers using Arduino in combination with a variety of sensors, SD card readers, and online services like IFTTT. In Part Two, my focus will shift to thinking about how to meaningfully express this data. Using hardware like Arduino to control RGB strips, servos, and stepper motors. This project is an opportunity to indulge in and explore a range of diverse approaches to digital making and expression.

Research

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Brendan Dawes

'The Collectors' 2021

"Every transaction on the Ethereum blockchain is denoted by a unique transaction ID or hash. Yet to me, rather than this simply being a matter of bookkeeping, it marks a moment in time, a moment when in this case a collector said, yes I'd like to collect this work for the first time.

Using these unique transactions The Collectors series creates three unique generative forms for three collectors of my work – WhaleShark, MetaKovan and Paris Hilton. These sculptures mark a non-repeatable moment in time and space, a totem of intent.

Each NFT was a physical sculpture created in clear resin, such that they exist in both the digital and analogue worlds." - Brendan Dawes

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I have been heavily inspired by Brendan Dawes in many projects and this one of his physical creations was no different. I liked his idea of bringing a very mysterious non tangible object like Ethereum into a physical manifestation. Since we can't actually envisage what these transactions would take form as, it allowed Dawes complete creative freedom for how to display this data. I like the idea of a sculpture and his interpretation is delicate and beautiful however for this project i'm thinking more mechanical. 

Yuri Suzuki

'The Sound of Waves' 2015

Suzuki records data from wave height across various coasts using a surfing site magicseaweed then this data translates to power a motor. The motor is attached to a tripod holding a rainstick so when the motor is powered the rainstick rotates giving this ocean wave sound. This was probably my favourite example and made me want to work with motors. I think it would be a really interesting phenomena to experience the sound a wave halfway round the world in realtime. I think really simple motor movements like rotation, up and down or left and right can actually be extremely effective and I think creating these movements through data is an avenue I want to explore. 

Kimchi and Chips

'LINK' 2010

This project was less about data but I really enjoy the final physical output and I could imagine using this kind of layout and scale for projection mapping for a future data driven project. This was made by design studio Kimchi and Chips to celebrate the opening of a cafe and was eventually used in multiple installs. The idea was to have visitors leave a personal recorded message/video and have this projected on the huge box wall with each box showing someone new. Thinking about how to link this to a data driven project I started thinking about what if each the scale and form of the physical boxes was a representation of something as well as the media I was projecting. I think it would be a good way of conveying data information while simultaneously allowing people to physical imagine the scale of data.  

Owen Cornec and
Romain Vuillemot

'Globe of Economic Complexities' 2015

Students from Harvard Kennedy wanted to reimagine the global spread of goods in a new data visualisation. Instead of cold statistics and graphs, their 3D world instead erupts with confetti to represent economic facts. I like this example despite it being screen based and the colours used make it all the better. I could try to imagine this in a physical  capacity but I could also imagine this on a large scale projection mapping project. Both academics have done an exceptional job making data beautiful, charming and importantly, engaging. 

h0nh1m aka Chris Cheung

'CARBONSCAPE' 2018

Chinese artist Chris Cheung created these large tube kinetic sculptures that are respondent to sound data. Cheung used 18 tracks created with granular synths that are all considered to be destructive as they were collected from sound sources where carbon footprints left. Examples would include jet engines, cars and train engines. For minutes you can stand in the white noise and watch the black carbon balls rise as if to symbolise these destructive noises coming to a head and CO2 levels rising. 

Intel, SMS Audio and Sid Lee

'Heart Bot' 2015

Commissioned by Sid Lee, the heart bot is an experimental drawing machine powered by the cardiac rate of the audience which is measured by the touch panel they constructed with a built in pulse monitor. 

Sketching

This was my first brain storm after the launch. I know this project is separated into Part 1 and 2 however I feel the physical end product needs to be considered during the initial stages so I can understand what kind of data and how I need to gather it.
After being introduced to data visceralisation, the ways of expressing data through physical forms so people can greater understand the gravity of the statistics, I was really interested in physical triggers caused by data. I was interested in rises and falls in data and what kind of sensor could give me these fluctuations. I thought of heart rate monitors, soil moisture sensors, light sensors and liquid level sensors. I could imagine how to gather and then make both IDEAS 2+3 so I started doing some sketching and researching. 

Idea 2:  I thought this could be a really effective way of portraying some more personal data. I wear apple watches and fitbits so my heart rate data is almost constantly being monitored but I'm quite interested to see if it spikes not just doing physical activity but doing something I enjoy like drumming. I know this is a physical activity as well but it could be quite interesting to see if playing different styles and speeds etc would heavily impact my heart rate or if playing infornt of people makes me nervous. 
The physical outcome I would want to resemble a leg and use wood to make it. I was thinking kicks and velocity of kicks could be the way in which i convey the data. To link it back to the drum I could have the leg kick a bass drum and this might link nicely back to the beat of my heart.

Idea 3:  Looking back to Suzuki's work I was interested in the natural environment and what data I could gather from it. I liked this idea of simple motors, movement and growth and after looking at the sensors available to me I was quite interested in light and soil moisture readings. What could my local environment tell me through data? Is the city a better place for plants to thrive or is the countryside better? Is Glasgow or Edinburgh better for plants? What soil allows plants to get the most water to their roots? 
With the global climate crisis and the masses of information and data about how the planet is being impacted I thought it might be quite interesting to see how some of these issues are more localised, specifically  in Glasgow. I thought I could emulate the growth of a flower through motors and have data I gather power said motor. I imagined I could use three different sensors for this, light, soil moisture and liquid level. 

Part 1 Process

Part 2 Process

Final Export

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