Building the Social Internet of Things

Building the Social Internet of Things
Tools and inspiring ideas for artists and designers
A presentation by Bill Harpley
November 25th
2015

A talk presented to students of BA Fine Art: Critical Practice
and BA Sculpture at Brighton University on November 25th 2015

Building the Social 'Internet of Things' 3
"In the next century, planet earth will
don an electronic skin.
It will use the Internet as a scaffold to
support and transmit its sensations."
- Neil Gross (1999)

Prelude

primal images | then and now
Phone Age - Apple iPod sillouette
( 2001)
● Corporate culture
● Materiality
● Time of plenty
● Harmony with the musical zeitgeist
Stone Age - Kandoa rock art
from Tanzania (~30,000 years?)
● Survival culture
● Spirituality
● Time of scarcity
● Harmony with nature

primal images | the artist's journey
●
From the earliest know Stone Age art to our present Phone Age
– artists have always been among the first groups of people to engage with
new tools and technologies
– they have observed and interpreted their environment
●
Placing the previous images adjacent to each other implicitly asks
the question “What comes next?”
●
We will use this methaphor of the artists journey to explore how a
new generation of artists are embracing the emerging world of the
'Internet of Things' (IoT)
●
We will then ask how artists can use their skills to shift the
development of IoT from a purely technological trajectory to
universal social experience ( the Social 'Internet of Things' )

today's conversation
experiments in light, heat and sound
the great divide between artists and technologists
a artist's guide to the Internet of Things (IoT)
the beauty of numbers
wearable technology for artists and designers
the digital artists new toolbox
building the Social 'Internet of Things'

experiments in Light, Heat and Sound

light | jason krugman
● Cheap, energy efficient LEDs have inspired many artists to design
luminous structures
●
Here is an intriguing structure created by Jason Krugman

heat | evan blackwell
● Heat (or lack of it) is a popular way to create art works using
materials such as glass, plastic, metal and ice
● Evan Blackwell creates intriguing pieces from familiar plastic
objects

sound | huntingdon & allen
● Sound can be visualised as a graphical model on a
computer screen.
● Andy Huntingdon and Drew Allen went one step further
and used a digital sound file to physical create 3D objects
using a technique called stereolithography

ensemble | erika harrsch
Electric Cello - Erika colloborated with a sound designer, a composer and
software / hardware developers to
“ … create a living sculpture, of music and light”.

the Great Divide

artists v. technologists
● The traditional view is that art and technology are
as different and chalk & cheese
– some artists have embraced technology to push the
boundaries of what is artistically possible
– some technologists have started to dabble in art
● The first example looks at the work of local artists
Georgina Voss and Wesley Goatley
● Georgina Voss is a technology anthropologist and
Wes Goatley is a sound artist

familiars | voss & goatley
Created a collaborative piece for the 2015 Brighton Digital Festival
called Familiars, which used “...information from the harbours,
airport control towers and railway hubs around Brighton to expose
the hidden logistics infrastructure that surrounds us”.

building bridges
● I am a technologist here today on November 24th
giving a talk to artists in Brighton
● On November 20th, Voss and Goatley gave a talk to
technologists at the Institute of Open Data in London
about their work 'Familiars'
● The question they posed was “Are physical and data
infrastructures distinct?” - this is an important issue for
the hyperconnected Smart Cities of the future
– Technologists talking to artists?
– Artists talking to technologists?
– You can be sure that something very interesting is happening!

the Internet of Things

IoT | what is it?
● IoT may be defined as the ability to connect “things” in the environment to the
Internet
– you can use sensors to read their physical state (e.g. temperature, pressure, velocity)
– in some cases you may wish to change their state (via a remote switch)
● The phrase “Internet of Things” was coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999
– many people had previously suggested similar concepts
– other people used names such as “Embedded Internet”
– for better or worse, Ashton's idea has defined the discourse about how we connect
the physical world to the Internet
– now it has all the trappings of a social and political movement!
● In reality, people are not interested in “the things” but in what you can do with
the data
– by implication this also means what artists can do with the data!

IoT | sensors and switches
Artists take note - there is a type of sensor for everything in the environment that you
may wish to track or measure!

IoT | future trends
● People disagree about the numbers but the future trend is clear
● Please note that this mountain of data is a new type of raw material for
artists and designers to work with!

IoT | applications
● IoT has a wide range of real-world applications
● It has tremendous potential for artists and designers

IoT | building blocks
● This diagram provides a simple overview of the fundamental building blocks of an
IoT system
● As an artist you need to decide:
– what data sources you wish to use for your project
– do you want to just 'sense' the environment or do you wish to control objects
– is the data free or does it come with a license (for which you may have to pay)
– what is the quality of the data (e.g. are there any “missing” pieces of data)
– how must the data be processed in order to realise your vision

IoT | yang & benjamin
Soo-in Yang and David
Benjamin created this public
work of art “Living Light” for
a park in Seoul (Korea).
● Each panel represents a
district of the city
● The degree of luminosity
of a panel is an indication
of current air quality
within that district.

IoT | hansen & rubin
● “Listening Post” is a
voyeuristic experience
created by Mark Hansen
and Ben Rubins
● It harvests text in real-time
from online sources such
as Twitter and displays
them on an array of small
screens

the beauty of Big Data

bigdata | art or statistics?

bigdata | what is it?
“Big data usually includes data sets with sizes beyond the ability of
commonly used software tools to capture, curate, manage, and
process data within a tolerable elapsed time.
Big data "size" is a constantly moving target, as of 2012 ranging from a
few dozen terabytes to many petabytes of data.
Big data is a set of techniques and technologies that require new forms
of integration to uncover large hidden values from large datasets that
are diverse, complex, and of a massive scale” - Wikipedia
● A terabyte (TB) is 1012 or 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
● A petabyte (PB) is 1015 or 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
● A exabyte (EB) is 1018 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
We are talking very big numbers here!

bigdata | data sources
Static (“batch”) - historical data
sources
● public documents (e.g. census)
● open data (public and private)
● social media (Twitter,
Facebook, etc.)
● “web scraping”
Dynamic (“Streaming”) - data
as it happens
● Twitter feeds
● real-time signals
● video / audio
● location data from mobile
networks
● Data can come from static and dynamic (real-time) sources
● In the business | government sector Big Data is used to improve decision
making by providing a “big picture” view of trends and hidden insights
● Data can be blended from a variety of sources -
a process known as “data mash-ups”

bigdata | what kind of tools?
● If you want to work with Big Data
– you will need to partner with a person who has
expertise in this field
– it is useful to know about some of the tools that can be
used to process large data sets
– an overview of the relevant tools can be found in the
handout
● Artists are more concerned with how to extract
and blend the relevant data into the medium
(sound, vision, motion, etc.) that best illuminates
their core vision

bigdata | nathalie miebach
“Synergy” - Nathalie Miebach is a Boston artist who 'mines' large data
sets related weather to create scuptures and original musical scores.
She defines her work as “A collaboration between science, data, musical
performance and sculpture”.

bigdata | laurie frick
Walking – Laurie Frick is a self-confessed
“data artist” who argues that technology will
disrupt the art world.
“ I think it will be disrupted
because art production will become
an algorithm.”
●
She focuses on using large amounts of
personal data to create some very engaging
pieces.
●
Audience participation is encouraged by
downloading her FRICKbit app for iPhone !!
“Take back your data and, turn it
into art!" - Laurie Frick

Wearable Technology

wearables | evolution
Significant research began in 1980s and has gathered pace ever
since. Examples:
● Multi-function digital wrist-watches
● Head-mounted displays
● Wrist-computers
● Portable music players
● Electronic textiles (used in hi-tech fashion garments)
● Physical/emotional wellbeing monitors
● Military applications
In this presentation, we will focus on devices and concepts
which are of most interest to artists.

wearables | definitions
“Wearable technology (also called wearable gadgets) is a
category of technology devices that can be worn by a consumer
and often include tracking information related to health and
fitness. Other wearable tech gadgets include devices that have
small motion sensors to take photos and sync with your mobile
devices”. - Webopedia
“Electronics that can be worn on the body, either as an
accessory or as part of material used in clothing. One of
the major features of wearable technology is its ability to
connect to the Internet, enabling data to be exchanged
between a network and the device”. - Investopedia

wearables | anatomy of a device
● Data Store – stores data
generated over a period of time
● Battery – power source for the
device
● Processing Intelligence –
collectively consists of the
Processor (CPU), Memory (RAM)
and the Control Logic
● Wireless Module – commonly
Bluetooth or Wi-fi
● I/O interface – typically USB
● Sensor – detects and measures
variable of interest
● Display – (optional) small screen
●
Buttons – physical control

wearables | wireless
Wearable devices use
wireless technologies to:
– transfer data to
external storage
(e.g. the Cloud)
– remotely configure the
device
– detect proximity
– detrmine location
Commonly used
wireless technologies:
– Bluetooth
– Wi-Fi
– NFC
– RFID
– GPS
Further details can be found in the handout.

wearables | nets
Body Area Networks (BANs)
● devices affixed to a human
body can communicate and
exchange messages with each
other
● often used in medical scenarios
Personal Area Networks (PANs)
● devices within a confined
space can communicate and
other
● may be used in a SOHO
environment
Bluetooth may be used to construct localised
networks of devices.

wearables | fashion
● Smart Textiles are now big
business!
● The Lume collection has won
numerous design awards (2012-
2013)
– Example of “e-fabrics” which
embed flexible electronics into
the fabric.
– Allows the colour of the garment
to be changed using a
smartphone app.
● This kind of wearable tech much in
evidence at major fashion shows
around the world.

wearables | virtual worlds
● Artists have begun to use
“Virtual Reality” technology to
create new works
● Perhaps the best known device
is the Occulus Rift VR headset
(but other vendors such as
Samsung have entered the
market)
● Because this is “immersive” art,
I can't show you any examples!
● The handout contains some
useful links to get you started.
Two people awe-struck by virtual
reality, viewed through Occulus Rift.

wearables | Brooklyn Ballet
● Dance and Ballet
companies have been
quick to explore the
possibilities of wearable
technology
● These include sensors
to detect motion, which
are sewn into costumes
and dance shoes.

Programability

programability | processing
●
processing is an easy to learn programming language
● It is open-source software which has the goal of “... software
literacy within the visual arts and visual literacy within
technology”.
● Used to create a wide range of applications e.g.
– animations
– music videos
– 3D modelling
● Vibrant online community of users and advocates
● Explore the online Exhibition ( https://processing.org/exhibition )

Princemio Pathfinder – a visual language to
generate choreography created with 'processing'

programability | javascript
● Javascript is a language much favoured by the Web
development community
● Applications run in your web browser
● It has many different flavours, though artists will find the
following particularly useful:
– Data Visualisation libraries D3.js and Recline.js
– processing language implemented in Javascript
● processing.js
● P5.js
● Python is a general purpose scripting language often used in
Data Visualisation

“Uber Rides” - this
example was created in D3
● It's an interactive map of
Uber taxi rides in a set of
city districts
● Moving the mouse over
the graphic (in your
browser) generates a
new information map

the Artist's new toolbox

toolbox | data
● We have already seen examples of how artists are
using data a raw material to create new works.
● Often used as a source of stimulus for the traditional
mediums of light and sound.
● This trend is likely to continue
– artists are likely to explore larger and more complex data
sets
– collaboration with technologists will expand the horizon of
what is possible
– the pace of innovation and creativity is likely to accelerate

toolbox | electronics
●
In recent years simple low-costs computer hardware boards have
opened up new fields of creativity
● These boards have been specially designed to make electronics
accessible to artists and designers
● This has spawned a whole sub-culture of 'Makers', 'hackers' and artists
Raspberry Pi Arduino Beaglebone Black

toolbox | robotics
Artists have long been fascinated by
Robots
● New generation of low-cost robots has
made this more accessible to artists
● Rise of more “intelligent” machines
creates possibilities for new forms of art
● Questions to ponder:
– How will artists respond to the arrival
of robots in everyday situations?
– Could people come to “prefer” art
created by machines?
– Could robots make artists
unemployed?
Alex Kiessling is a Vienna based artist
that employed two ABB industrial robotic
arms to simultaneously create a work in
three countries.

toolbox | haptics
Haptics - a strange and
unfamiliar word which means
“Communication with, and /or
recognition of, an object by
means of touch”
● You need to experience it to
understand it!
● Photo on the right -
Morten Grønning Nielsen
has designed a glove that can
be used to sculpt hard
materials like stone and wood
by hand. Happaratus – haptic glove for artists.

toolbox | 4K video
● 4K Video is the latest ultra-high definition for
video capture and display
– 4x times the clarity of a standard HD Television
– Potential to display images on large high-definition
screens (leading to a “virtual” art market?)
● Still expensive but expect more artists to use in
future as 4K technology becomes more
affordable

toolbox | VR + AR
● We have already looked at Virtual Reality
● Let's add to this by talking about Augmented Reality
– combines what you see on the gallery wall with augmented
content generated on a smartphone or tablet

toolbox | kinect
kinect – a motion tracking technology used in games
consoles (but much coveted by artists and dancers)
“EGO between the real and the symbolic”

toolbox | 3D printing
Additive Manufacturing originated in
the late 1980s
● It has evolved to the point where
people can buy low-cost 3D printers
such as the RepRap Prusa
●
Current generation has limited
capabilities but performance
improving all of the time
●
You can create objects that would
be impossible to make using
conventional “subtractive” methods
● 3D printers widely used by
sculptors and architects

toolbox | minds & emotions
Brain Computer Interaction (BCI)
has its origins in medical
applications
● artists now use BCI to create
works which respond to the
emotional state of the viewer
● example on the right is artist
Laura Jade's -
'Brain Light Project' -
“ … a boulder-sized light sculpture
designed to create a biofeedback
loop of light, sound, and thought”.

the Social 'Internet of Things'
an imperative role for artists & designers

social IoT | history
● Back in the mid-90s, the vision of the Internet was
that of a platform for e-commerce, marketing and
information services
– In other words, it was a bit bland
– But then along came Friends Reunited,
MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter …
● The rise of social media and self-generated
content transformed the Internet from a bland
(but very useful) information platform into a
social network
● Nobody planned this … it simply happened!

social IoT | outlook
● Guess what! The dominant view of the emerging
Internet of Things is that it will serve:
– as a platform for harvesting data from almost every conceivable
source
– it will be of more interest to governments and corporations than
ordinary citizens
– it will create a bounty of “actionable intelligence” which will be of no
interest to the general public
● Does this all sound a bit familiar? Where is the social
dimension in this?
● Hey, things don't have to be this way!

social IoT | here and now
● Brighton is I think unique in having such a large population of
'geeks' and artists living together in a relatively small urban area
● This means that there is huge potential to create a different kind
of 'Internet of Things'
– 'geeks' can build the technology
– 'artists' can create help to design the social aspects of IoT
– requires empathy and willingness to collaborate across boundaries
– need to create some formal groups or institutions where this kind of
collaboration becomes 'the norm'
● We have seen in this presentation how artists have begun to
engage and humanise these emerging technologies
● Let's scale this up to create the Social 'Internet of Things'

social IoT | thingbook
● Instead of Facebook, the world of IoT could have “Thingbook” – but what
would it look like?
● We know that Facebook is popular because it is focused on concern for (and
interest in) other people and their communities.
● Social IoT would extend that to include concern for (and
interest in) sets of things within the community.
● these would be matters of common concern to people within a community or neighbourhood
● artists and designers could play a role in making abstract data tangible
● citizens would then have an holistic picture of their shared interests and concerns to interact with
● this mechanism of discovery, recommendation and publication would be very familiar to any
users of Facebook
● There is an alternative to the bland corporate vision of the Internet of Things
and you as artists & designers must have a key role in defining what that
alternative vision might be.

coda

coda | the challenge
●
We started this presentation with a giant leap from Stone Age to Phone Age
● We noted that artists have always been among the first people to engage
with new ideas and technologies
● We have seen examples of how artists have already begun to experiment
with these emerging technologies
● Now it's your turn to take up the challenge!
● Let's have artists, designers and technologists work together to breathe life
into the emerging concept of the Social 'Internet of Things' – it's YOUR
future!
I've got it all
figured out!

Q&A
Cueva de las Manos (“Cave of the Hands”) ~ 550 BCE

About the author
Bill Harpley is the founder of Astius Technology,
a pioneering 'Internet of Things' business and
engineering consultancy based in Brighton.
www.astius.co.uk
@billharpley

1
Building the Social Internet of Things
Tools and inspiring ideas for artists and designers
A presentation by Bill Harpley
November 25th
2015
No notes for this page.

2
A talk presented to students of BA Fine Art: Critical Practice
and BA Sculpture at Brighton University on November 25th 2015

3
"In the next century, planet earth will
don an electronic skin.
It will use the Internet as a scaffold to
support and transmit its sensations."
- Neil Gross (1999)
Quotation from the original Business Week article by Neil Gross:
http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_35/b3644024.htm

4
Prelude

5
primal images | then and now
Phone Age - Apple iPod sillouette
( 2001)
● Corporate culture
● Materiality
● Time of plenty
● Harmony with the musical zeitgeist
Stone Age - Kandoa rock art
from Tanzania (~30,000 years?)
● Survival culture
● Spirituality
● Time of scarcity
● Harmony with nature
Images: The Bradshaw Foundation (left); Apple Corporation (right)
There are many books in print relating to rock art ( a.k.a. cave paintings) and many
excellent resources on the web. The Bradshaw Foundation website is a good
foundation to explore this fascinating topic:
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/
The iconic Apple iPod advertising campaign had several variants, though all
featured a silhoutted figure against a coloured background. This proved to be an
extremely successful campaign for Apple over a period of many years. Take a
look at the following web page and judge for yourself:
http://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/tag/tbwachiatday-advertising/
# further resources
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric-art.htm
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/prehistoricart/

6
primal images | the artist's journey
●
From the earliest know Stone Age art to our present Phone Age
– artists have always been among the first groups of people to engage with
new tools and technologies
– they have observed and interpreted their environment
●
Placing the previous images adjacent to each other implicitly asks
the question “What comes next?”
● We will use this methaphor of the artists journey to explore how a
new generation of artists are embracing the emerging world of the
'Internet of Things' (IoT)
●
We will then ask how artists can use their skills to shift the
development of IoT from a purely technological trajectory to
universal social experience ( the Social 'Internet of Things' )

7
today's conversation
experiments in light, heat and sound
the great divide between artists and technologists
a artist's guide to the Internet of Things (IoT)
the beauty of numbers
wearable technology for artists and designers
the digital artists new toolbox
building the Social 'Internet of Things'

8
experiments in Light, Heat and Sound

9
light | jason krugman
● Cheap, energy efficient LEDs have inspired many artists to design
luminous structures
●
Here is an intriguing structure created by Jason Krugman
image: http://jasonkrugman.com/basket/
What appeals to me about Jason Krugman's work is the sense of
mathematical and spatial precision that is inherent in his creations.
Take a look at the following links for more awe inspiring examples:
http://jasonkrugman.com
https://jasonkrugman.wordpress.com/
Many other artists are active in this medium. A quick google for the phrase
'led sculpture' will turn up many more fine examples.
A lot of work can go into making these kind of sculptures. For example, take
a look at: http://www.nervoussquirrel.com/ledsculpture.html

10
heat | evan blackwell
● Heat (or lack of it) is a popular way to create art works using
materials such as glass, plastic, metal and ice
● Evan Blackwell creates intriguing pieces from familiar plastic
objects
image: http://www.evanblackwell.com/
This creation by Evan Blackwell is made from melting plastic drinking straws.
In a later slide, we will look at 3D printing, which allows designers to fabricate original
items using plastic as a raw material.

11
sound | huntingdon & allen
● Sound can be visualised as a graphical model on a
computer screen.
● Andy Huntingdon and Drew Allen went one step further
and used a digital sound file to physical create 3D objects
using a technique called stereolithography
image: http://andyhuntington.co.uk/2003/cylinder/
Many artists create extraodinary sonic landscapes using only sound. One
example is Bill Fontana ( http://www.resoundings.org/ ).
However, for the purposes of this talk, we are more interested in ways of
visualising sound. So for this example, I have focused on the work of Andy
Huntingdon and Drew Allen.
They created a set of sound sculptures called 'Cylinder'. They first sampled
sounds within a confined space and stored the digitised data in a format
known as an STL file (commonly used for 3D CAD drawings)
Physical versions of the digital 3D models were then "printed" in 3D using
the stereolithography technique:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithography
Later we will take a look at 3D Printing, which takes a rather different
approach.

12
ensemble | erika harrsch
Electric Cello - Erika colloborated with a sound designer, a composer and
software / hardware developers to
“ … create a living sculpture, of music and light”.
image: http://www.erikaharrsch.com
Erika Harrsch is a Mexican artist who colloborates across boundaries to create innovative
and interesting works of art.
It is by no means unusual for artists to incorporate elements of both sound and vision into
their work. However, Erika really goes to town on this one!
The example which I have selected for this presentation is her Room 35 project (often
called her “Electric Cello” project). In order to bring this idea to life, she collaborated with
a sound designer, a composer and a small team of hardware / software engineers.
You can read the background story to the project in IEEE Spectrum magazine:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/profiles/the-making-of-erika-harrschs-led-cello
Note that this account of the project was published in a technology journal!
Overall, this example provides a useful bridge to the kind of ideas which we will be
discussing later in the presentation.
Take time to explore Erika's website and appreciate the full range of her work.Then
switch over to YouTube and search for 'erika harrsch': you will find some interesting short
videos to watch.

13
the Great Divide

14
artists v. technologists
● The traditional view is that art and technology are
as different and chalk & cheese
– some artists have embraced technology to push the
boundaries of what is artistically possible
– some technologists have started to dabble in art
● The first example looks at the work of local artists
Georgina Voss and Wesley Goatley
● Georgina Voss is a technology anthropologist and
Wes Goatley is a sound artist

15
familiars | voss & goatley
Created a collaborative piece for the 2015 Brighton Digital Festival
called Familiars, which used “...information from the harbours,
airport control towers and railway hubs around Brighton to expose
the hidden logistics infrastructure that surrounds us”.
image: www.brightondigitalfestival.co.uk
The project has its own website: http://www.familiars.org which illustrates
the basic concept behind the project. This was described as follows:
“A large-scale projected map on the gallery floor will display the movements
of nearby ships, trains and planes in real time, while sounds of shipping and
air traffic control will follow these movements through the gallery.”
The work was exhibited at the Lighthouse Gallery in Brighton, as part of the
2015 Digital Festival.
For the purposes of this presentation, what makes this such a special
example is that it illustrates the use of data as a raw material for artists.
You can read the full background to the project on the following page:
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/31651

16
building bridges
● I am a technologist here today on November 24th
giving a talk to artists in Brighton
● On November 20th, Voss and Goatley gave a talk to
technologists at the Institute of Open Data in London
about their work 'Familiars'
● The question they posed was “Are physical and data
infrastructures distinct?” - this is an important issue for
the hyperconnected Smart Cities of the future
– Technologists talking to artists?
– Artists talking to technologists?
– You can be sure that something very interesting is happening!
You can read about the background to the talk which Voss and Goatley gave at
the Open Data Institute here:
https://theodi.org/lunchtime-lectures/friday-lunchtime-lecture-unfamiliar-topologies

17
the Internet of Things

18
IoT | what is it?
● IoT may be defined as the ability to connect “things” in the environment to the
Internet
– you can use sensors to read their physical state (e.g. temperature, pressure, velocity)
– in some cases you may wish to change their state (via a remote switch)
● The phrase “Internet of Things” was coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999
– many people had previously suggested similar concepts
– other people used names such as “Embedded Internet”
– for better or worse, Ashton's idea has defined the discourse about how we connect
the physical world to the Internet
– now it has all the trappings of a social and political movement!
● In reality, people are not interested in “the things” but in what you can do with
the data
– by implication this also means what artists can do with the data!
You can learn more about the history of the 'Internet of Things' on the
excellent Postscapes website:
http://postscapes.com/internet-of-things-history
There is a vast amount of information about IoT on the web. The
Postscapes website contains lots of info which appeals to a general
audience. Take some time to explore it.

19
IoT | sensors and switches
Artists take note - there is a type of sensor for everything in the environment that you
may wish to track or measure!
image: graphic No.1 from the infographic at:
http://postscapes.com/what-exactly-is-the-internet-of-things-infographic
The Postscapes website contains a lot of useful information, much of it
targeted at a general readership.
It also contains examples of projects undertaken by artists who have
exploited the potential of IoT and data:
http://postscapes.com/internet-of-things-award/networked-art/
http://postscapes.com/networked-art-10-projects-using-real-time-data
http://postscapes.com/internet-of-things-award/winners/

20
IoT | future trends
●
People disagree about the numbers but the future trend is clear
● Please note that this mountain of data is a new type of raw material for
artists and designers to work with!
image: http://iot-analytics.com/

21
IoT | applications
● IoT has a wide range of real-world applications
● It has tremendous potential for artists and designers
image: graphic No.6 from the infographic at:
http://postscapes.com/what-exactly-is-the-internet-of-things-infographic

22
IoT | building blocks
● This diagram provides a simple overview of the fundamental building blocks of an
IoT system
● As an artist you need to decide:
– what data sources you wish to use for your project
– do you want to just 'sense' the environment or do you wish to control objects
– is the data free or does it come with a license (for which you may have to pay)
– what is the quality of the data (e.g. are there any “missing” pieces of data)
– how must the data be processed in order to realise your vision
This is a really simple diagram. The assumption here is that data will be
harvested from sensors and then transferred over the Internet to a central
point of processing. Once in the Data Store, the data can be analysed,
manupulated and visualised according to the desires of the artist.
In fact, a variety of data collection & processing scenarios are possible. For
example, small scale art projects may be gather data from objects within a
single room or from objects worn by a person.
In this case, data would be processed locally and there may be no
requirement to transfer the data to another location.

23
IoT | yang & benjamin
Soo-in Yang and David
Benjamin created this public
work of art “Living Light” for
a park in Seoul (Korea).
● Each panel represents a
district of the city
● The degree of luminosity
of a panel is an indication
of current air quality
within that district.
image: this example is the “Living Light “ project from:

24
IoT | hansen & rubin
● “Listening Post” is a
voyeuristic experience
created by Mark Hansen
and Ben Rubins
● It harvests text in real-time
from online sources such
as Twitter and displays
them on an array of small
screens
image: composite screen capture using images from from the “Listening
Post” project
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/smap/collection_index/mark_hansen_ben_
rubin_listening_post.aspx
# Moving on
Before we move on from this topic, here are a few more resources for you to
explore:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/11/12/internet-of-things-as-a
rt-how-sensors-can.html
http://internetofthingsphilosophy.com/slides-proceedings-etc/
https://www.digitalcatapultcentre.org.uk/art-in-the-iot-roundtable-roundup/
https://www.digitalcatapultcentre.org.uk/art-in-the-iot-qa-justin-mckeown/
Note how the commercial world has started to wake up to the possibilities of
having artists, designers and technologists work together in the IoT space.

25
the beauty of Big Data

26
bigdata | art or statistics?
image: screen shot of the page
http://www.research.att.com/export/sites/att_labs/groups/infovis/news/
img/ATT_Labs_InternetMap_0730_10.pdf
This image is a point in time snapshot of all of the nodes on the global
internet. It was created by AT&T, a large U.S. telecoms and internet provider.
The map is built from a massive amount of data and it is rendered using a
visualisation technology called Nanaocube.
When artists and designer start working with Big Data, the distinction
between art and technology can become a bit blurred. So take another look
at the image again. Is it art or just technology? You decide!
If you want to know more about Nanocubes and see other examples, take a
look at :
http://www.research.att.com/groups/infovis/projects.html

27
bigdata | what is it?
“Big data usually includes data sets with sizes beyond the ability of
commonly used software tools to capture, curate, manage, and
process data within a tolerable elapsed time.
Big data "size" is a constantly moving target, as of 2012 ranging from a
few dozen terabytes to many petabytes of data.
Big data is a set of techniques and technologies that require new forms
of integration to uncover large hidden values from large datasets that
are diverse, complex, and of a massive scale” - Wikipedia
● A terabyte (TB) is 1012 or 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
● A petabyte (PB) is 1015 or 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
● A exabyte (EB) is 1018 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
We are talking very big numbers here!
Definition from Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_data#Definition
If you do a google search for ' big data definition', you will find many more
perspectives on this topic.
Don't be intimidated by 'big numbers' – you will soon get used to working
with them.
Be aware that 'big data' is not necessarily accurate or useful. Many people
fall into the trap of thinking that a large set of data is a true representation of
of the subject which they wish to study.
If you are planning to use a large data set for a project, I would advise you to
talk to a 'big data' technologist about your idea. Ask if your data set
● has any missing data
● is consisent (e.g. some measurements in metres, others in feet)
● is representative of the subject you wish to portray
You also need to know who 'owns' the data. Many data sets are in the public
domain but others may have licensing restrictions. So if you are in any
doubt, ask before using!

28
bigdata | data sources
Static (“batch”) - historical data
sources
● public documents (e.g. census)
● open data (public and private)
● social media (Twitter,
Facebook, etc.)
●
“web scraping”
Dynamic (“Streaming”) - data
as it happens
● Twitter feeds
● real-time signals
● video / audio
● location data from mobile
networks
● Data can come from static and dynamic (real-time) sources
● In the business | government sector Big Data is used to improve decision
making by providing a “big picture” view of trends and hidden insights
● Data can be blended from a variety of sources -
a process known as “data mash-ups”
Some of the most creative uses of Big Data will come from “data blending” (a.k.a.
“data mash-ups”). This isn't an entirely new idea – DJs have been remixing music
for years!
Mashups can be technically very challenging due to the fact the the data sources
are likely to be in different formats. So you will definitely need some help with this
task.
At the moment, web content about data blending is focused on commercial
applications. So there is not much advice out there for artists. But do read this
links:
http://www.artdiversions.com/the-internet-of-things-a-revolution-in-life-and-art/
http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/22/from-artistic-to-technological-mash-up/
http://remixtheory.net/?cat=11
http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/10875633.pdf

29
bigdata | what kind of tools?
● If you want to work with Big Data
– you will need to partner with a person who has
expertise in this field
– it is useful to know about some of the tools that can be
used to process large data sets
– an overview of the relevant tools can be found in the
handout
● Artists are more concerned with how to extract
and blend the relevant data into the medium
(sound, vision, motion, etc.) that best illuminates
their core vision
The dominant means of “crunching” large data sets is through the use of
something called Hadoop. This is not one software application but a whole
ecosystem of services devoted to processing large amounts of data.
Its used by large corporations such as Google, though many smaller
organisations use it too. But no discussion of Big Data would be complete
without at leas a mention of Hadoop.
So if you really must know more about it, then this link is about the clearest
explanation that I can find:
http://hortonworks.com/hadoop/
The moral of the story is that if you are planning to use a really big data set,
find somebody who knows about Hadoop!
However, at this point in time, artists seem to be working with relatively small
data sets. So you probably won't have to worry about Hadoop (at least for
the time being!).
The next case studies feature more artists who have worked with relatively
small data sets to create interesting pieces of work.

30
bigdata | nathalie miebach
“Synergy” - Nathalie Miebach is a Boston artist who 'mines' large data
sets related weather to create scuptures and original musical scores.
She defines her work as “A collaboration between science, data, musical
performance and sculpture”.
image: “Synergy” from http://nathaliemiebach.com/portfolio.html
Nathalie uses the analogy of weaving to create works of art that are inspired
by data related to meterology, astronomy and ecology. She openly
collaborates with musicians to bring her sculptural creations to life.
She has given an interesting TED talk on her work:
https://www.ted.com/speakers/nathalie_miebach
You can listen to MP3 files of her musical creations at:
http://nathaliemiebach.com/musical.html
She was part of a panel of people who talked about the influence of 'The
Wind' on a recent BBC radio programme called The Forum:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p033jclq

31
bigdata | laurie frick
Walking – Laurie Frick is a self-confessed
“data artist” who argues that technology will
disrupt the art world.
“ I think it will be disrupted
because art production will become
an algorithm.”
●
She focuses on using large amounts of
personal data to create some very engaging
pieces.
● Audience participation is encouraged by
downloading her FRICKbit app for iPhone !!
“Take back your data and, turn it
into art!" - Laurie Frick
image: http://www.lauriefrick.com/walking/
Laurie Frick has a very interesting manifesto for the future of art!
She uses all kinds of everyday technology, such as:
●GPS in her smartphone
●Fitbit monitors
●Sensors
●Personal video cam
Using these devices, she creates very data-centric works of art which are
deeply rooted in personal experience.
She makes her ideas more accessible to others via her FrickBits software
app: http://www.frickbits.com/
A few other links which you may wish to explore:
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/05/the-rise-of-the-data
-artist/392399/
http://lauriefrick.tumblr.com/
She also has many videos on YouTube, including a TEDx talk.
Note that Laurie employs personal wearable devices to gather data for her
work. This leads nicely into our next topic of Wearable Technology.

32
Wearable Technology

33
wearables | evolution
Significant research began in 1980s and has gathered pace ever
since. Examples:
● Multi-function digital wrist-watches
● Head-mounted displays
● Wrist-computers
● Portable music players
● Electronic textiles (used in hi-tech fashion garments)
● Physical/emotional wellbeing monitors
● Military applications
In this presentation, we will focus on devices and concepts
which are of most interest to artists.
If you would like to know more about the history and range of applications of
wearable technology, check out the presentation which I originally gave in
October 2013 to the Worthing Digital group:
http://www.slideshare.net/kerberos56
Some of the slides are slightly dated but the bulk of the presentation
remains useful.
It was early days in the Wearable Technology story, so only 5 people turned
up for the talk!
These days, there are blogs, social media feeds and glossy trade shows
staged in major cities all over the world. It's a global multi-million dollar
business. But at the time I gave the talk in Worthing, there was relatively
little interest in the subject!

34
wearables | definitions
“Wearable technology (also called wearable gadgets) is a
category of technology devices that can be worn by a consumer
and often include tracking information related to health and
fitness. Other wearable tech gadgets include devices that have
small motion sensors to take photos and sync with your mobile
devices”. - Webopedia
“Electronics that can be worn on the body, either as an
accessory or as part of material used in clothing. One of
the major features of wearable technology is its ability to
connect to the Internet, enabling data to be exchanged
between a network and the device”. - Investopedia

35
wearables | anatomy of a device
● Data Store – stores data
generated over a period of time
● Battery – power source for the
device
● Processing Intelligence –
collectively consists of the
Processor (CPU), Memory (RAM)
and the Control Logic
●
Wireless Module – commonly
Bluetooth or Wi-fi
● I/O interface – typically USB
●
Sensor – detects and measures
variable of interest
● Display – (optional) small screen
●
Buttons – physical control

36
wearables | wireless
Wearable devices use
wireless technologies to:
– transfer data to
external storage
(e.g. the Cloud)
– remotely configure the
device
– detect proximity
– detrmine location
Commonly used
wireless technologies:
– Bluetooth
– Wi-Fi
– NFC
– RFID
– GPS
Further details can be found in the handout.
There is a whole alphabet-soup of wireless technologies used for wearables.
Here are just a few to tickle your brain cells: - Bluetooth, Wi-fi, Zigbee, Xbee,
Dash7, Ant+
The key thing to remember about wearables is that they have very limited
battery life. For this reason, low-power Bluetooth technology is used most
often. You are probably familiar with this if you have ever set up a Bluetooth
connection on your phone or laptop.
The other factor about wearables is that tend to communicate only over a
short range (e.g. within a room). Once again, Bluetooth is well suited to this
requirement.
RFID – you will have encountered “RFID tags” when you went shopping.
They are a modern form of the tradtional Bar Code. Tags are attached to
an object and later scanned with a reader. Using this method, you learn
about the properties of the object.
NFC- this is another short-range wireless technology. You will be familiar
with this if you have ever used a “contactless” card payment syste.
GPS – this uses a constellation of satellites to determine your geographical
position on the surface of the Earth. You will be familiar with this from
Satnav in cars and the mapping application on your smartphone.

37
wearables | nets
Body Area Networks (BANs)
● devices affixed to a human
body can communicate and
other
● often used in medical scenarios
Personal Area Networks (PANs)
● devices within a confined
space can communicate and
other
● may be used in a SOHO
environment
Bluetooth may be used to construct localised
networks of devices.
This is another one of those topics which defies simple explanation!
If you want to know more check the Wikipedia articles and perhaps do a
Google image search:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_area_network
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_area_network
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-me_area_network
These networks tend not to be as horriblly complicated as you might
imagine. Once you have seen how one is wired up, you will become quite
comfortable with these ideas.

38
wearables | fashion
● Smart Textiles are now big
business!
● The Lume collection has won
numerous design awards (2012-
2013)
– Example of “e-fabrics” which
embed flexible electronics into
the fabric.
– Allows the colour of the garment
to be changed using a
smartphone app.
● This kind of wearable tech much in
evidence at major fashion shows
around the world.
image: http://jorgeandesther.com/lume/
“Smart Textiles” are being developed for a whole variety of purposes, such as
medical and industrial applications.
These fabrics have “flexible” electronic circuits woven into them, which gives them
some remarkable properties.
The fashion industry has been quick to latch on to the possibilities of digital haute
couture. Here are a few links for you to explore:
The Fashion Innovation Agency has quite a few interestin pages on this topic. For
example:
http://www.fialondon.com/project/richard-nicoll-disney/
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/14/fashion-phones-wearable-tech
nology
https://blog.adafruit.com/2015/09/09/hallo-its-wear-it-festival-berlin-sept-23rd-25
th-wearablewednesday/
http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2015/aug/03/wearable-techno
logy-wardrobes-smart-fashion
http://www.digitaldialog.co.uk/digital-trends-london-fashion-week-2015-digital-ooh-
wearable-tech/
http://cutecircuit.com/
http://www.digital-anthropology-lab.com/how-we-work/
http://www.cio.com/article/2984799/wearable-technology/style-tech-converge-at-2
015-new-york-fashion-week.html
There is also lots of interesting stuff on YouTube: try searching for 'future fashion'
or 'smart textiles'

39
wearables | virtual worlds
● Artists have begun to use
“Virtual Reality” technology to
create new works
● Perhaps the best known device
is the Occulus Rift VR headset
(but other vendors such as
Samsung have entered the
market)
● Because this is “immersive” art,
I can't show you any examples!
● The handout contains some
useful links to get you started.
Two people awe-struck by virtual
reality, viewed through Occulus Rift.
image:
http://animalnewyork.com/2013/frieze-london-the-good-the-bad-and-the-oculus
-rift-art/
Occulus Rift ( https://www.oculus.com/en-us/ ) is the leading player in this
field, with something of a cult following. There are of course alternatives, but
Occulus Rift seems to be the one that is most used by artists.
Perhaps the simplest way to get started on this topic is to google for the
phrase 'occulus rift art gallery' – though be warned that you may need to
wear an Occulcus Rift headset to view some of the exhibits!

40
wearables | Brooklyn Ballet
● Dance and Ballet
companies have been
quick to explore the
possibilities of wearable
technology
● These include sensors
to detect motion, which
are sewn into costumes
and dance shoes.
image:
http://www.intelfreepress.com/news/ballet-dance-wearable-technology/9050/
A smilar project was undertaken during the 2015 Brighton Digital Festival.
You can read about it here:
http://www.theartsdesk.com/we-made-it/we-made-it-ballet-shoe-creator-gen
evieve-smith-nunes
http://brightondigitalfestival.co.uk/event/datastorm/
Note how the 'Datastorm' project incorporated data from the Met Office!
Now take a look at this article:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240368
Do a google search with the phrase ' wearable tech art dance ballet ' to find
many more examples

41
Programability

42
●
processing is an easy to learn programming language
● It is open-source software which has the goal of “... software
literacy within the visual arts and visual literacy within
technology”.
● Used to create a wide range of applications e.g.
– animations
– music videos
– 3D modelling
● Vibrant online community of users and advocates
● Explore the online Exhibition ( https://processing.org/exhibition )
The www.processing.org website with lots of easy tutorials and videos to get
you started.
Take time to explore the extensive online Exhibition space which shows an
amazing array of creative works that have been created with processing.
Another interesting article to get you going:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learn-program-processing-language-visual-de
signers/
'processing' is not the only programming language used by the artistic /
creative community. Here are links to a couple of others:
https://cycling74.com/products/max/
http://puredata.info/

43
Princemio Pathfinder – a visual language to
generate choreography created with 'processing'
image: http://princemio.net/portfolio/pathfinder/

44
● Javascript is a language much favoured by the Web
development community
● Applications run in your web browser
● It has many different flavours, though artists will find the
following particularly useful:
– Data Visualisation libraries D3.js and Recline.js
– processing language implemented in Javascript
● processing.js
● P5.js
● Python is a general purpose scripting language often used in
Data Visualisation
Links to resources mentioned in this slide:
D3 : http://d3js.org/
Recline : http://okfnlabs.org/recline/
There are many more specialised javascript libraries for data visualisation
out there. But these two will get you started.
processing.js : http://processingjs.org/
P5.js : http://p5js.org/
Python ( Bokeh ) : http://bokeh.pydata.org/en/latest/
Python ( plot.ly ) : https://plot.ly/python/
HAPPY PROGRAMMING!!!

45
“Uber Rides” - this
example was created in D3
● It's an interactive map of
Uber taxi rides in a set of
city districts
● Moving the mouse over
the graphic (in your
browser) generates a
new information map
Example created by Mike Bostok using the javascript D3 library. To
experience this interactive map at work, click on the following link:
http://bost.ocks.org/mike/uberdata/

46
the Artist's new toolbox

47
toolbox | data
● We have already seen examples of how artists are
using data a raw material to create new works.
● Often used as a source of stimulus for the traditional
mediums of light and sound.
● This trend is likely to continue
– artists are likely to explore larger and more complex data
sets
– collaboration with technologists will expand the horizon of
what is possible
– the pace of innovation and creativity is likely to accelerate
There is a whole series of TED talks on this topic:
https://www.ted.com/playlists/201/art_from_data
And take a look at these links:
http://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/art-analytics-using-bigger-data-create-value-art
s-and-cultural-sector
https://flowingdata.com/category/visualization/artistic-visualization/
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/02/data-visualisation
http://iq.intel.com/turning-data-visualization-art-7-artists-using-data-muse/
http://data-art.net/
http://www.furtherfield.org/artdatamoney/
http://variable.io/
http://www.bewitched.com/art.html
Google for 'art from data' to find many more useful resources.

48
toolbox | electronics
● In recent years simple low-costs computer hardware boards have
opened up new fields of creativity
● These boards have been specially designed to make electronics
accessible to artists and designers
● This has spawned a whole sub-culture of 'Makers', 'hackers' and artists
Raspberry Pi Arduino Beaglebone Black
images (left to right ):
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/processor-microcontroller-development-kits/832-6274
/
https://store.arduino.cc/product/GBX00067
http://beagleboard.org/BLACK
There are a vast number of websites and books devoted to this subject.
To get you started, here are a few for you to explore:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/
https://www.arduino.cc/
http://beagleboard.org/
http://www.makershed.com/
http://infusionsystems.com
https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials
http://www.adafruit.com/
http://www.element14.com/community/welcome
http://shop.oreilly.com/category/browse-subjects/science-math/hardware-engineeri
ng.do
http://raaf.org/pdfs/Rinaldo_Guide_sm.pdf
http://makezine.com/2015/05/13/sending-data-using-sound-internet-things/
O'Reilly produce a useful newsletter:
http://www.oreilly.com/hardware/newsletter.html
Brighton Hackspace is a place where you can go and learn about this stuff:
http://www.buildbrighton.com/blog/

49
toolbox | robotics
Artists have long been fascinated by
Robots
● New generation of low-cost robots has
made this more accessible to artists
● Rise of more “intelligent” machines
creates possibilities for new forms of art
● Questions to ponder:
– How will artists respond to the arrival
of robots in everyday situations?
– Could people come to “prefer” art
created by machines?
– Could robots make artists
unemployed?
Alex Kiessling is a Vienna based artist
that employed two ABB industrial robotic
arms to simultaneously create a work in
three countries.
image:
http://postscapes.com/internet-of-things-award/project/longdistanceart/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotic_art
http://artradarjournal.com/2014/09/05/what-is-robotic-art-art-radar-explains/
http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/features/hacking-maker/robots-where-are-
we-now/
http://www.jeffbots.com/artists.html
http://roboticart.org/
http://cocosato.co.uk/roborigami/
http://www.gizmag.com/creative-ai-algorithmic-art-painting-fool-aaron/36106/
The next articles are more advanced, though still worth a look:
http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/en_uk/blog/will-robots-replace-artists-in-th
e-future
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3047610/evidence/googles-robot-artists-prove-a
ndroids-actually-dream-of-electric-dogs
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/happening-robots-may-creative-artists-future/
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/10/can-robots-be-creative
http://uk.businessinsider.com/robotic-arm-draws-by-mimicking-an-artists-m
ovements-2015-7

50
toolbox | haptics
Haptics - a strange and
unfamiliar word which means
“Communication with, and /or
recognition of, an object by
means of touch”
● You need to experience it to
understand it!
● Photo on the right -
Morten Grønning Nielsen
has designed a glove that can
be used to sculpt hard
materials like stone and wood
by hand. Happaratus – haptic glove for artists.
image: www.happaratus.com/
Haptics is a technology which continues to grow in importance. Here are a
few links to get you started:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haptic_technology
http://www.immersion.com/haptics-technology/what-is-haptics/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Robotic-Hand-with-Haptic-Feedback
/
http://www.geomagic.com/en/products/phantom-desktop/overview
Note that most of the “haptic” art that turns up in a web search does not
relate to the electronic form.
Here are a few links to artists:
http://www.centreforsensorystudies.org/exhibitions/
http://www.haptics2013.org/sub02_09.php
http://morganrauscher.com/morganrauscher/portfolio/art-bot/
http://bit.ly/1Lo8LvY
http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/los-angeles/john-carpenter-hapti
c-media-systems.html

51
toolbox | 4K video
● 4K Video is the latest ultra-high definition for
video capture and display
– 4x times the clarity of a standard HD Television
– Potential to display images on large high-definition
screens (leading to a “virtual” art market?)
● Still expensive but expect more artists to use in
future as 4K technology becomes more
affordable
http://4k.com/video/
https://depict.com/frame
http://www.creativebloq.com/computer-arts/what-does-4k-mean-you-514116
22
http://epfilms.tv/top-10-professional-video-cameras-reviews-4k-edition-best
-pro-camcoders/

52
toolbox | VR + AR
● We have already looked at Virtual Reality
● Let's add to this by talking about Augmented Reality
– combines what you see on the gallery wall with augmented
content generated on a smartphone or tablet
image:
http://brainberryglobal.com/augmented-reality-art-creative-uses-technology/
ARART is a very interesting AR application for artists:
http://www.arart.info/
http://bit.ly/1PVolBe
http://www.academia.edu/9668550/DESIGNING_AUGMENTED_REALITY
_ART_GALLERIES
http://www.apollo-magazine.com/augmented-reality/
http://www.jasonohler.com/aste2013/
http://underscoreg.com/augmented-reality-art
AR has many commercial applications outside of the art world:
https://www.aurasma.com/

53
toolbox | kinect
kinect – a motion tracking technology used in games
consoles (but much coveted by artists and dancers)
“EGO between the real and the symbolic”
image: http://www.creativeapplications.net/tag/kinect/
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/microsoft-kinect2.htm
http://www.creativeapplications.net/tag/kinect/
http://kinect.justthebestparts.com/Chapter_0_-_What_this_is_about/
http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/motion-graphics/watch-stunning-motion-cap
tured-dance-art-of-asphyxi/
You will find lots of stunning videos on YouTube and Vimeo.

54
toolbox | 3D printing
Additive Manufacturing originated in
the late 1980s
● It has evolved to the point where
people can buy low-cost 3D printers
such as the RepRap Prusa
● Current generation has limited
capabilities but performance
improving all of the time
● You can create objects that would
be impossible to make using
conventional “subtractive” methods
●
3D printers widely used by
sculptors and architects
image: http://reprap.org/wiki/File:Prusai3-metalframe.jpg
Here are few links to get you started:
http://www.joshharker.com/
http://www.marcomahler.com/3d-printing-artist-sculpture-art/
http://3dprinting.com/products/architecture/
This is a vast subject! Do a google search with the phrase
' 3d printer art sculpture architecture ' to find lots of useful information.

55
toolbox | minds & emotions
Brain Computer Interaction (BCI)
has its origins in medical
applications
● artists now use BCI to create
works which respond to the
emotional state of the viewer
● example on the right is artist
Laura Jade's -
'Brain Light Project' -
“ … a boulder-sized light sculpture
designed to create a biofeedback
loop of light, sound, and thought”.
image:
http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/brain-shaped-light-installation-fee
ds-on-your-thoughts
OpenBCI is an open-source project for developing BCI applications. It's got
lots of good advice on selecting hardware too.
www.openbci.com
http://openvibe.inria.fr/
https://emotiv.com/epoc.php
Here is an OpenBCI discussion about how it can be used in art:
http://www.openbci.com/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/357/introduction-emot
ion-mental-interactive-art
These is a new field which is just opening up to artists. So there aren't many
good resources on the web at the moment.
https://vimeo.com/120810771
http://www.felixvinyals.com/work/make-music-with-your-brain/
http://specs.upf.edu/installation/2025
http://www.decimallab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/iMindforWebsite.pdf
http://www.citylab.com/tech/2015/04/san-francisco-has-a-robotic-sculpture-y
ou-control-with-your-brain/390201/
https://psychtechinnovations.wordpress.com/

56
the Social 'Internet of Things'
an imperative role for artists & designers

57
social IoT | history
● Back in the mid-90s, the vision of the Internet was
that of a platform for e-commerce, marketing and
information services
– In other words, it was a bit bland
– But then along came Friends Reunited,
MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter …
● The rise of social media and self-generated
content transformed the Internet from a bland
(but very useful) information platform into a
social network
● Nobody planned this … it simply happened!
No notes on this page.

58
social IoT | outlook
● Guess what! The dominant view of the emerging
Internet of Things is that it will serve:
– as a platform for harvesting data from almost every conceivable
source
– it will be of more interest to governments and corporations than
ordinary citizens
– it will create a bounty of “actionable intelligence” which will be of no
interest to the general public
● Does this all sound a bit familiar? Where is the social
dimension in this?
● Hey, things don't have to be this way!
No notes on this page.

59
social IoT | here and now
● Brighton is I think unique in having such a large population of
'geeks' and artists living together in a relatively small urban area
● This means that there is huge potential to create a different kind
of 'Internet of Things'
– 'geeks' can build the technology
– 'artists' can create help to design the social aspects of IoT
– requires empathy and willingness to collaborate across boundaries
– need to create some formal groups or institutions where this kind of
collaboration becomes 'the norm'
● We have seen in this presentation how artists have begun to
engage and humanise these emerging technologies
● Let's scale this up to create the Social 'Internet of Things'
It is only in the last couple of years that people have begun to think about
the “social” dimension of IoT.
Just google for the phrase ' social iot ' and expect lots of results!
However, there are various interpretations of Social IoT (SIoT), in line with a
number of competing agendas.
Corporate SIoT – this is just an extension of the current role of social
media. Here are a couple of typical ideas:
http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/profit/big-ideas/081214-mabramow-2264
336.html
https://www.agtinternational.com/software-platforms/social-iot-platform/
There is undoubtedly scope for this but I think we can build something much
better. If we just reproduce what we already have, it means that we have
collectively learned nothing.
Artists and designers can humanise SIoT in a way that big corporates can
never do. We have already seen some early experiments in how artists are
responding to this challenge.
Now we need to get more people involved and do more collaborations
between artists, technologists and concerned policy makers.

60
social IoT | thingbook
● Instead of Facebook, the world of IoT could have “Thingbook” – but what
would it look like?
● We know that Facebook is popular because it is focused on concern for (and
interest in) other people and their communities.
● Social IoT would extend that to include concern for (and
interest in) sets of things within the community.
● these would be matters of common concern to people within a community or neighbourhood
● artists and designers could play a role in making abstract data tangible
● citizens would then have an holistic picture of their shared interests and concerns to interact with
● this mechanism of discovery, recommendation and publication would be very familiar to any
users of Facebook
● There is an alternative to the bland corporate vision of the Internet of Things
and you as artists & designers must have a key role in defining what that
alternative vision might be.
'Thingbook' is an idea that is starting to gain traction. See for example the
following research paper:
https://webfiles.uci.edu/vgulati/ThingBook_GulatiVrishti.pdf
Even books are being published on the subject:
http://www.designparticipation.net/CFP-Social-IoT
So at the moment, it remains avery fuzzy concept.
The good news is that this means that there is plenty of scope for people
like us to step forward and define a clear manifesto!

61
coda

62
coda | the challenge
● We started this presentation with a giant leap from Stone Age to Phone Age
●
We noted that artists have always been among the first people to engage
with new ideas and technologies
●
We have seen examples of how artists have already begun to experiment
with these emerging technologies
●
Now it's your turn to take up the challenge!
●
Let's have artists, designers and technologists work together to breathe life
into the emerging concept of the Social 'Internet of Things' – it's YOUR
future!
I've got it all
figured out!
Images: Apple Corporation (left); licensed stock photo (Canstock)
When you feel ready to take up the challenge, check out these links:
http://hackingforartists.com/
http://www.hackingarts.com
http://www.arthackday.net/
http://www.arthackday.net/events/hackers-as-artists
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/know/2010
http://userwww.sfsu.edu/infoarts/links/wilson.artlinks2.html

63
Q&A
Cueva de las Manos (“Cave of the Hands”) ~ 550 BCE
image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_painting#South_America
Photo of Cueva de las Manos (“Cave of the Hands”), in the Santa Cruz
province of Argentina.

64
About the author
Bill Harpley is the founder of Astius Technology,
a pioneering 'Internet of Things' business and
engineering consultancy based in Brighton.
www.astius.co.uk
@billharpley
Here are a few miscellaneous links that didn't quite make it into the main
presentation:
http://www.theinternetofthings.eu/content/art-and-internet-things
http://www.meetup.com/London-IoT-for-Art-Entertainment/
http://artsdigitalrnd.org.uk/
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/ict-art-starts-platform
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/report-symposium-crossovers-between
-culture-and-technology
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/starts-symposium
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-funding/funding-programmes/digital-rd-f
und-arts/big-data-projects/

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