Friday, October 16. 2009
By Timo | 12 October 2009
This video is about exploring the spatial qualities of RFID, visualised through an RFID probe, long exposure photography and animation. It features Timo Arnall of the Touch project and Jack Schulze of BERG.
The problem and opportunity of invisibility
RFID is still badly understood as an interactive technology. Many aspects of RFID interaction are fundamentally invisible; as users we experience two objects communicating through the ‘magic’ of radio waves. This invisibility is also key to the controversial aspects of RFID technology; once RFID antennas are hidden inside products or in environments, they can be invoked or initiated without explicit knowledge or permission. (See here for more on the invisibility of radio.)
But invisibility also offers opportunities: the lack of touch is an enormous usability and efficiency leap for many systems we interact with everyday (hence the success of Oyster, Suica and Octopus cards). But there is also the ‘magic’ of nearness one of the most compelling experiential aspects of RFID.
As designers we took this invisibility as a challenge. We needed to know more about the way that RFID technology inhabits space so that we could better understand the kinds of interactions that can be built with it and the ways it can be used effectively and playfully inside physical products.
The experiments
In order to study the readable volume around an RFID reader, we built experimental probes that would flash an LED light when they successfully read an RFID tag. The readable volume is not the same as the radio field, instead it shows the space within the field in which an RFID tag and an RFID reader will interact with each other.
One version of our probe containing a tag and LED light connected to the RFID reader that is being studied.
In a dark room, the probes were moved around the various RFID tags and readers that we wanted to study, with a camera taking long-exposure photographs of the resulting patterns of light. In this way we could build up layers by slicing through the field in different ways, creating animations that clearly reveal the spatial properties of this interaction.
These experiments were carried out in order to help us flesh out our own models of the technology, and were not intended to be scientifically accurate. So although they accurately reflect the behaviour of the technologies in the situations that we work with, there were no controlled environments or settings for generalisable technical accuracy.
Innovations ID 20
The Innovations ID 20 RFID reader has become one of the standard components in a lot of our work, it is small, robust and relatively cheap. So it has been very important for us to gain an understanding of the readable volume it produces when we embed the reader inside products such as Sniff and Skål.
Details: Innovations ID20 low-frequency EM4102 reader, 20mm circular EM4102 tag.
The resulting visualisation shows the way in which we have mapped the boundary of the readable volume, although a tag will read anywhere inside this, we have only mapped the edge for the sake of clarity. From the animation (see the video) we start to clearly see that the readable volume is made up of a strong central sphere, accompanied by a smaller lobe that surrounds the edge of the reader.
Oyster card
Mifare cards are one of the largest public applications of RFID, used in many transit systems around the world such as the Oyster and Suica cards. It has become common to have to touch in and touch out of subway stations, and many people have become accustomed to this interaction. So what does the readable volume around an Oyster card look like?
Details: Standard Mifare Oyster card, probed with a Sonmicro high-frequency reader.
With a square antenna inside the Oyster and the Sonmicro reader, we get an elongated main volume, accompanied by long skinny lobes on each edge of the card. This looks very different from the ID 20 mapping.
Orientation
The first two mappings held the reader and the tag parallel to each other, but we predicted that there would be a higher degree of complexity in the relationship if the tag and the reader moved in different orientations. The rig below was built so that we could control the angle between the reader and the tag, which moved along the surface of the table.
Details: Innovations ID20 low-frequency EM4102 reader, 50mm circular EM4102 tag.
There is clearly enormous physical complexity in this relationship, in the animation we can see the volume growing and shrinking, lobes turning into spheres, and vice-versa. But the animation gives us a very clear picture of the ‘throw’ of the reader onto a single two-dimensional plane, almost like looking at it as a torch.
Parallel and perpendicular
To show the two extremes of the relationship between orientation and the readable volume, we created two mappings, one with the tag parallel to the reader, and the other with the tag perpendicular. We mapped them using two different colours of LED: green for parallel and red for perpendicular.
Details: Innovations ID20 low-frequency EM4102 reader, 20mm circular EM4102 tag.
This image is a composite of the two mappings (see the video for animations of the two mappings separately) and it is clear that the readable volume is significantly different. When the tag is perpendicular to the reader, there is a sizeable gap in the middle of the reader where the tag will not read, creating two readable volumes side by side.
Conclusions
We have been continually challenging the ways in which RFID technology has been framed. It is incredible how often RFID is seen as a long-range ‘detector’ or how little relevant information is contained in technical data-sheets. When this information is the primary material that we are working with as designers, this is highly problematic. By doing these kind of experiments we can re-frame the technology according to our experience of it, and generate our own material knowledge.
One of the early motivations in this project was the way in which the animations really captured our tacit, embodied knowledge of the readable volume in a visual way, it was almost as if you could wave your hand through the floating green LEDs and feel them. Of course we had felt it hundreds of times in experimenting with tags and readers, but we had never seen it captured in an image, in a way that was communicable to others without having them try an interactive demonstrator. With this visual material, we can communicate about RFID in ways that we couldn’t previously.
So we hope that this work goes some way towards building better spatial and gestural models of RFID, as material for designers to build better products and to take full advantage of the various ways in which spatial proximity can be used. And with this better understanding we hope to be able to discuss and design for privacy and the ‘leakage’ of data in a more rigorous way.
Field icon
Download a PDF file of the RFID icon.
This RFID icon is based on the shape of the ‘readable volume’. Created by Timo Arnall & Jack Schulze, it is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Go ahead and use it!
Credits
The project was made by Timo Arnall and Einar Sneve Martinussen from AHO and Jack Schulze from BERG. Thanks to Jørn Knutsen for help in building the rigs.
Related things:
- Making radio tangible Next week we’re launching some new work that explores the spatial aspects of RFID. So before we publish that, here is a quick summary of existing work on radio, sensors and space that I’ve......
- Wireless in the world An ongoing Touch theme is about making invisible wireless technologies visible, in order to better understand and communicate with and about them (see a Graphic Language for RFID, Dashed lines and Fictional radio spaces).......
- Images of touch interfaces I’m happy to say that with great contributions from Nicolas Nova, Matt Jones and many others, the pool of images of ‘touch interfaces’ on Flickr is growing nicely. I originally asked for contributions in......
- Fictional radio-spaces In spring 2007 interaction design students at AHO participated in a research-driven course called Tangible interactions that investigated themes around RFID, NFC and the Touch project. This is one of the projects that emerged......
- Magnetic Movie In the same vein as the Bubbles of Radio work from last year, Magnetic Movie is a film that explores visible and audible manifestations of radio fields. The film is by Ruth Jarman &......
This entry was posted in Interaction design, Projects, Research, Visual design and tagged animation, design, electromagnetic fields, EMF, infoviz, photography, Radio, Visualisation, visualization, Waves. Bookmark the permalink. or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.
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Via Touch
Personal comment:
On ne peut évidemment éviter de penser aux travaux de Dunne & Raby effectués il y a plusieurs années au Royal College of Arts de Londres en voyant ce travail. Toutefois ici cela va un peu plus loin en terme d'analyse avec plus de détails. J'avais eu de nombreux contacts avec Timo Arnall à l'époque du projet de recherche (Variable Environment) que fabric | ch menait pour l'ECAL et l'EPFL. Il s'y était passablement intéressé, y compris à la métodologie "ouverte" du projet (via son blog).
Tuesday, October 13. 2009
I recopy here entirely an email received from The Architectural League of New York, the venerable institution, signaling their increasing interests into the "interactive city", the "digital/ubiquitous computing city" or as the call it the "sentient city". This is a competition they organised last year, to which fabric | ch was invited and part of the 10-15 last projects (I don't remember how much where left before the final selection).
At that time, we proposed a project called "Sliding Presence Pavilion" which purpose was to deal with architectural behaviors and revisit the "automated house". We were not totally satisfied with our project... but this was a first attempt from us in thinking about "architectural behaviors".
Many links in this mail lead to projects, presentations, talks, etc. dealing with the question of the city, the interactive city and/or the adaptable architecture.
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Sent by: The Architectural League |
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OCTOBER 14Ι Sentient City Charrette Announced
OCTOBER 16 Ι Amphibious Architecture: David Benjamin, Natalie Jeremijenko, and Soo-in Yang
OCTOBER 17 Ι Design in 5 Sketch120: ...ism
OCTOBER 19 Ι Current Work: Andrew Freear, Rural Studio
OCTOBER 24 Ι Design in 5: LES Walking Tour
OCTOBER 28 Ι Current Work: Chuck Hoberman and Craig Schwitter, Adaptive Building Initiative
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THIS WEEK
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Sentient City Charrette
Wednesday, October 14: Design Problem Announced
Wednesday, October 21: Pin-up
Presented in conjunction with the League's current exhibition Toward the Sentient City.
The Sentient City design charrette is intended as a speculative exercise for architects, artists, technologists, and related design professionals to engage the themes of the exhibition. A design problem will be announced via @theLeague and on the League's website on Wednesday, October 14. Participants will have one week to work on their projects, which will be discussed at a pin-up on October 21. For more information click here.
Registration is required. Email rsvp@archleague.org to register; include "Sentient City Charrette" in the subject line and your name in the email.
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Happy Hour Project Presentation: Amphibious Architecture
David Benjamin, Soo-in Yang, and Natalie Jeremijenko
Friday, October 16
7:00 p.m.
The Urban Center
457 Madison Avenue
Presented in conjunction with the League's current exhibition Toward the Sentient City.
David Benjamin, Natalie Jeremijenko, and Soo-in Yang will talk about the interconnected ecosystems of land and water, and the potential overlap between social networks of fish, people, and buildings as they relate to "Amphibious Architecture," their project for the League's current exhibition. Installed at sites in the East River and the Bronx River, “Amphibious Architecture” creates a public interface to water quality and aquatic life of urban rivers, and our interest therein. For more information about the project, click here.
Tickets are free for League members; $10 non-members. Members may reserve a ticket by emailing rsvp@archleague.org. Non-members may purchase tickets here.
Header Image: Amphibious Architecture installation in the East River, courtesy of the Living Architecture Lab and xDesign Enviornmental Health Clinic
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Design in 5 Charrette
Sketch120: ...ism
Saturday, October 17
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Noguchi Museum
-01 33rd Road (at Vernon Boulevard)
Long Island City
On Saturday, October 17th, come to the Noguchi Museum and participate in a sketch problem and open forum with an invited jury to hear your work discussed.
The charrette is aimed at young designers five years or less out of school; whether you are a graphic, industrial, fashion designer, artist, architect, or planner, Design in 5 invites you to attend. Refreshments will be available. You may participate as an individual or as a team of up to three people.
Registration is required. Registration for Sketch120 is $10; Architectural League and Noguchi Museum members receive free registration. Members should email designin5@archleague.org to register; non-members click here. Included in your registration is free admission to the Noguchi Museum for the day.
Image: A previous Design in 5 charrette, by Jon Lee
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UPCOMING |
Current Work: Andrew Freear, Rural Studio
Introduced by Susan Rodriguez
Discussion following the lecture with Andrew Freear, David Lewis, and Susan Rodriguez
Monday, October 19
7:00 p.m.
The Great Hall, The Cooper Union
7 East 7th Street
For more information click here.
Image: Hale County Animal Shelter, copyright Timothy Hursley.
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Design in 5
Lower East Side Walking Tour and Studio Visit to Hester Street Collaborative
Saturday, October 24
12:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Look for more information in next week's @theLeague.
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Adaptive Building Initiative
Chuck Hoberman, Hoberman Associates
Craig Schwitter, Buro Happold Consulting Engineers
Introduced by Walter Chatham
Wednesday, October 28
7:00 p.m.
The Great Hall, The Cooper Union
7 East 7th Street
For more information click here.
Image: Adaptive Shading for atrium of Audiencia Provencial (Appeals Court), Madrid, Spain, copyright Foster + Partners.
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Podcasts
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Natural Fuse: Usman Haque
Recorded September 18, 2009
Click here to watch this podcast.
Click here to automatically receive new podcasts by subscribing to the League's podcast series on iTunes. The League's digital programs are made possible by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
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On View:
Toward the Sentient City
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Monday – Saturday (closed Thursday)
11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Urban Center
457 Madison Avenue
An exhibition critically exploring the evolving relationship between ubiquitous computing, architecture, and urban space. Free admission. For more information, visit the exhibition website.
Buzz:
Boing Boing
Channel 13 Sunday Arts
WNYC
BBC World Service
Huffington Post
Abitare
Daily Telegraph
Follow the exhibition on Twitter
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Urban Omnibus
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Around Town
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Lecture
Shanghai Skyline
Tuesday, October 13
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Presented by the Skyscraper Museum
Museum of Jewish Heritage
36 Battery Place
For more information click here.
Book Launch and Signing
Wendy Evans Joseph Pop Up Architecture
Wednesday, October 21
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Urban Center Books
Municipal Art Society
457 Madison Ave
For more information click here.
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Funding and Membership
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The Architectural League is a non-profit organization that depends on the support of its members and foundations, corporations, firms, and individuals. Architectural League programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
You can help support the League by making a donation or by becoming a member. Membership benefits include free or reduced admission to all League lectures and programs; invitations to exhibition opening receptions; a 10% discount on purchases at Urban Center Books; and discounted subscriptions to international architecture and design periodicals AD Architectural Design, The Architectural Review, AV Monographs, and Domus.
Click here to join or donate today. |
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Pe Lang et Zimoun Leeraum, deux artistes suisses (qui ont travaillé ensemble) qui réalisent des installations sonores, motorisées et cinétiques plutôt intéressantes. Leur travail rappelle sous certains aspect celui de Carsten Nicolai (l'aspect plastique essentiellement, la facture minimale). A suivre!
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Pe Lang:
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Zimoun Leeraum:
Monday, October 12. 2009
We’ve seen Tweets posted by plants, a space shuttle and even a house, so we shouldn’t be particularly surprised to hear that commercial jets are now Tweeting and posting Facebook messages (sorta). In fact, we think the idea is ingenious.
Admittedly, it’s not the plane itself doing the Tweeting: it’s the airline. Lufthansa has set up a new service named MySkyStatus that automatically posts the current position of your flight to Twitter or Facebook so your friends can follow your travels (and your friends living in those cities can look up!).
Typical status updates read “flying over San Francisco Intl, California 94030, USA on United Airlines” or “flying over Grantsville, UT 84029, USA on United Airlines”. It seems the system posts the flight’s position around once per hour, pulling info from a database of flight information.
Here’s the really smart bit: I stumbled on the service because one of my Facebook friends was on a United Airlines flight today. Clicking the link in the update, of course, directs you to the Lufthansa MySkyStatus page with a Google Map of the flight’s position, meaning that Lufthansa is getting free social media promotion from people travelling on all airlines. Pretty smart.
On a long haul flight, of course, the system may post 20 updates or more, but the functionality is so cool that I’m prepared to give some slack to those Twitter and Facebook friends who have decided to put their updates on autopilot.
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Via Mashable
Personal comment:
Real life & positioning & objects status, etc. to text... Interesting to see how Twitter becomes a sort of real time textual mirror to life and social life in general. A sort of textual and live version Google Earth (and more)!
I understand why developing a good and efficient search engine for Twitter or Facebook might compete with Google, at least on the (permanent) "real time" status of the planet.
Adam Greenfield, as usual critically interrogating the potential of the networked city, in the unedited version of a piece that’s running in this month’s Wired UK:
…the complex technologies the networked city relies upon to produce its effects remain distressingly opaque, even to those exposed to them on a daily basis.
In fact, it’s surpassingly hard to be appropriately critical and to make sound choices in a world where we don’t understand the objects around us. Understanding networked urbanism on its own terms, however wise it might be, requires an investment of time and effort beyond the reach of most. (”I learned to drive in order to read Los Angeles in the original,” said the great 20th Century architectural critic Reyner Banham, and the systems we’re talking about are orders of magnitude more complex than mere cars and freeways.)
In the networked city, therefore, the truly pressing need is for translators: people capable of opening these occult systems up, demystifying them, explaining their implications to the people whose neighborhoods and choices and very lives are increasingly conditioned by them. This will be a primary occupation for urbanists and technologists both, for the foreseeable future, as will ensuring that the public’s right to benefit from the data they themselves generate is recognized in law. If we’re reaching the point where it makes sense to consider the city as a fabric of addressable, queryable, even scriptable objects and surfaces – to reimagine its pavements, building façades and parking meters as network resources – this raises an order of questions never before confronted, ethical as much as practical: who has the right of access to these resources, or the ability to set their permissions?
These are essential questions, as the application of any technology which transforms the city so thoroughly contains the potential for abuse, whether born out of intent sinister or noble but misguided.
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Via Mammoth
Personal comment:
Ces questionnements sur la propriété des données générées par la "ville en réseau" sont évidemment très importantes pour les architectes et urbanistes. En passant, questions que nous avions adressées en 2004 à travers la pièce A.I. vs A.I. (Electroscape 004). Même si cette thématique n'était pas directement au centre de la pièce.
Notre collaboration actuelle autour d'un dispositif théâtral avec l'écrivain et théoricien français Eric Sadin (projet actuellement nommé Globale Surveillance, d'après le récent livre d'E.S.) et dans laquelle nous réaliserions une installation nommée Paranoid Shelter, devrait nous permettre de prolonger ces questions au nivea spatial.
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