Locative media project

Catch me if you can!

General Terms:

Experimentation, group and organization interaction.

Keywords:

Outside game, way finding, psychogeography.

Technology:

Skype (With Video Conference plug-in), Large Band WiFi nodes, Phone Helmet, Webcams.

Context:

“MONTREAL, June 14 /CNW Telbec/ – Montreal will soon become the first Canadian city to deliver wireless Internet and mobile IP telephony to residents. A new WiMAX based Wi-Fi network is being deployed across the metropolitan area thanks to a joint venture between two Quebec-based businesses: independent Internet service provider Radioactif.com(TM) and Nomade Télécom, wireless network installer and operator.

The mission of this joint venture is to create an alternative to large Internet service and IP telephony providers by offering quality services at the best possible prices. “For less than $30 per month, Montreal residents will soon be able to have wireless Internet access and IP telephone service almost everywhere on the island,” explained Daniel Robichaud, President of Radioactif.com. “Wireless telephony, including voice mail, call waiting and free local calling will be available across the network with no per minute charge, except in the case of long distance calls,” he concluded.” [CNW Telbec]

Further news
A Free WiFi network on 1.2 Km in a park

“This is puzzling for us, because it’s free whereas every other telecom provider, especially Rogers, are charging like crazy every other hotspot in Montreal.”

Concept:

With the growing popularity of the Internet, people tend to like to be in the virtual world exploring other space, like looking at photos, videos etc. Consequently people pass more time at home. They are stock with their computer as well as an Internet connection. Their activity is mostly invested into virtual acts. As example, today’s kids probably play as much as kids of the past but the game environment have changed; it has almost become a huge abstract world, in which a lot of time is spend. At this moment it’s all about the creation, exchange and selling of things that don’t represent a tangible feedback in reality. In consequence, it exists now a busy space of activities which doesn’t bear upon the real space. A good question is what is the effect of their special interconnection? In other word, we aim to create an experience that illustrates the quality of spaces covered of virtual reality. (Why this internet coffee where we are writing is different from any other coffee on the street?)

As both spaces exist and no one would like to renounce the opportunities of the web and it communication possibilities, the web is going mobile through large wifi installations. This gives space for activities outside while making full use of the virtual environment. Moreover people have to get a feeling for having both realities at one time and to find a way of using them. By making full use of the large free wifi band located at the Montreal Old Port, an opportunity is given to explore an early example of doubling reality in their geography location. To dress the links between the two, this experiment aim to make your physical location having an impact on your virtual universe and vice versa. Using a man hunter game setup, real acting can easily be shared over the virtual space and create the connection between player localization and their actions in virtual spaces. A person only needs a headset and a webcam and others can follow her via the web. Having this addition point of view the people on the Internet can feedback, in a conversation format, to the real space. The person who is informed about several locations at one moment is able to combine this information to it’s real sensing of places.

Method: Taking place over the Old Port Promenade, a game interconnecting a group of man hunter to a group of escaper will be ran, documented and analysed. The game consists of two teams of participants all connected over one or few video chat software. Each Team designates a player who will act as the person in charge of the communication. These players are not running on the field and install their stations on a spot where they can provide information to the member of their team. They are the only ones who know where are the hunters as well as the escapers and they are the only ones able to communicate (describing) the location of the enemy to their team-mates. Even if the hunters/escapers take care of their own space sensing, the two game monitors (one for each team) provide an extra orientation fundamental to the game organisation and the essential strategy tool to ensure victory.

This game will make use of video conferencing with Skype and every members laptop as well as communication devices. Few match will be played on the same afternoon/evening. These matches will be video documented and will serve our observation concerning interconnection of virtual space and geographical space. Our goal is to learn from this experience and make this experimental use of Large WIFI playground evolve. Actually, few contests are open for designer having ideas in term of mobility design and the collected material as well as group critic might be an essential input into our goal of participating to these contest.