The Datacatcher: Batch Deployment and Documentation of 130 Location-Aware, Mobile Devices That Put Sociopolitically-Relevant Big Data in People's Hands: Polyphonic Interpretation at Scale

Gaver, William; Boucher, Andy; Jarvis, Nadine; Cameron, David; Hauenstein, Mark; Pennington, Sarah; Bowers, John; Pike, James; Beitra, Robin and Ovalle, Liliana. 2016. The Datacatcher: Batch Deployment and Documentation of 130 Location-Aware, Mobile Devices That Put Sociopolitically-Relevant Big Data in People's Hands: Polyphonic Interpretation at Scale. pp. 1597-1607. [Article]

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Abstract or Description

This paper reports the results of a field trial of 130 bespoke devices as well as our methodological approach to the undertaking. Datacatchers are custom-built, location-aware devices that stream messages about the area they are in. Derived from a large number of ‘big data’ sources, the messages simultaneously draw attention to the socio-political topology of the lived environment and to the nature of big data itself. We used a service design consultancy to deploy the devices, and two teams of documentary filmmakers to capture participants’ experiences. Here we discuss the development of this approach and how people responded to the Datacatchers as products, as revealing sociopolitical issues, and as purveyors of big data that might be open to question.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858472

Additional Information:

This research was supported by the European Research Council's advanced investigator award no. 226528, 'Third
Wave HCI'.

Keywords:

Research through design; location-based systems; big data; batch production; batch deployment

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Design
Design > Interaction Research Studio

Dates:

DateEvent
1 May 2016Published
1 November 2015Accepted

Event Location:

San Jose, United States

Item ID:

16242

Date Deposited:

20 Jan 2016 12:09

Last Modified:

09 Feb 2021 15:48

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/16242

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