Tying in with Jeremijenkos robotics project Feral Robotic Dogs, “Robotic Feral Public Authoring” combines the two aspects hobbyist robotics and public authoring (mapping and sharing of knowledge), which “both enable people to use emerging technologies in dynamic and exciting new ways. Brought together they open up whole vistas of possibilities for exploring our local environments with electronic sensors to detect all kinds of phenomena and map them using online tools.” [1]

Sensors are used to measure environmental influences (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, solvent vapours, electro-magnetic emissions (mobile phone masts, electricity generators etc), light and noise pollution) and are combined with a robotic vehicle, in this case a remote-controlled toy-car. The data gained by the sensors are visualised online by the “Urban Tapestries” tool and thus enables people to perceive their environment and shows them that they can interfere with it.

“Our aim is to design and create practical applications of such ‘creative misuse’ of commercially available technologies for social and cultural public benefit.” [2]

For more information check
[1],[2] Robotic Feral Public Authoring at Urban Tapestries
Documentation booklet (Pdf, 821kb)
Public Authoring and Feral Robotics (Detailed Project Description, Pdf, 454kb)
Project Film (3min Qt Movie 8.1mb March 2006)

“Feral Robotic Dogs” or “Feral Robotics ” is an experimental robotics project by Natalie Jeremijenko in which low cost robots are hacked and turned into driving vehicles to inspect their surroundings. Released in a pack, they take notice of each other and together explore visible and invisble parts of their surroundings: Webcams on their behinds document visual information about the environment, sensors measure chemical pollution and radiation. “Participants can watch and try to make sense of this data without the technical or scientific training required to be comfortable interpreting a EPA document on the same material” (comment: EPA is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Feral Robotic Dogs

A collection of bags reacting to sensors.

Smart bags at we-make-money-not-art

An interesting project on pollution detection and monitoring: mobile devices are used to measure pollution in a city. The data is later on visualised in serveral ways, all visible for people passing by. The other option is realised by fix stations, which send bluetooth messages to passers-by and inform them about the current pollution level on their current location.

The Urban Pollution Monitoring Project