Georgia Tech is researching methods for collecting, analyzing, and interacting with data pertaining to people’s interaction with their environment. We are planning to deploy a system of sensor units in Decatur to collect real-time data about pedestrian-driven traffic (e.g., foot, skateboard, bicycle, pets) and environmental conditions (e.g., weather, air quality, noise). The sensor units will send anonymous data to a server at Georgia Tech, which will merge that data with social media feeds (e.g., tweets, check-ins, reviews), which may be relevant to activities in Decatur. Through a novel visualization and sonification (i.e. transforming data into sound) system, our hypothesis is that researchers, city planners, and the public will be able to query this dense amount of data to explore questions about how and why people interact with Decatur by seeing and hearing patterns and correlations in urban infrastructure use and surrounding environmental conditions.
We will be holding an event as part of the Atlanta Science Festival in Decatur Sq. on March 27 to let people to preview the project as well as hear an artistic rendition of city data collected during the week of the festival. More details about the long-term research project will be presented at the ASF event.
http://atlantasciencefestival.org/events/event/1095
