Time Force Topology

The blue dots represent human participants. The red squares represent cells in a
virtual body. -This is a simple sketch, not finished graphics.

Time, Force, Topology is a public art project for multiple simultaneous participants that uses physical movement in urban space as input. Using sound cues and simple visuals played on mobile phones, the participants move about and interact with the urban space, other human participants and a number simulated or virtual presences.

This genre of work, called Locative Media takes advantage of GPS chips and geo-location functions present in the last several generations of mobile phones. Time Force Topology is delivered to mobile phones such as the Android, Blackberry, iPhone or any other phone that uses GPS and javascript in the web browser. There is no need to write and app for each phone, since geo-location reporting, sound playback and visual presentation can take place in the phone's web browser.

The Virtual Presence.

In recent years the focus of my research has been on the turning out of the virtual into the physical world. That is, rather than humans entering virtual worlds (Second Life) through immersion, I am working towards the virtual inhabiting the physical world with humans through eversion.

The virtual presence or virtual body is a simulation in physical space. It exists on a central server and is displayed on participant's phones. In a sense it exists in the urban space surrounding the participants. They can walk around it and looking at their phones and listening through their earphones can sense the contours of the virtual body. They might even walk into or invade the virtual body.

In response the virtual body might move away from the participant. The cells might divide into multiple bodies. Or it might move to enclose the participant. This virtual body can change location and form in reaction to the participants or independently of them. It is something like a virtual flock of birds, reacting to the participants movement.

In very simple terms, imagine children running through the flocks of pigeons in the park. Each pigeon has its own behaviour. As the pigeons take flight and flock in different groups, the behaviours of the pigeons in each group influence each other. When a pigeons splits from a group its behaviours no longer influence that group. When that pigeon joins another group it's behaviours influence the new group.

Now imagine each of the pigeons is an element or cell in an Artificial Life simulation. A Cellular Automation or Flocking algorithm controls their movement and behaviour. The central server keeps track of where the cells are virtually located in the urban space at the festival and when a real participant intersects with a cell in that space the cells in the virtual body or bodies react with sound and movement. The virtual body can change location, animate form and divide to form multiple bodies.