The Networked Sensory Landscape: Capturing and Experiencing Ecological Change Across Scales

Abstract

What role will ubiquitous sensing play in our understanding and experience of ecology in the future? What opportunities are created by weaving a continuously sampling, geographically dense web of sensors into the natural environment, from the ground up? In this article, we explore these questions holistically, and present our work on an environmental sensor network designed to support a diverse array of applications, interpretations, and artistic expressions, from primary ecological research to musical composition. Over the past four years, we have been incorporating our ubiquitous sensing framework into the design and implementation of a large-scale wetland restoration, creating a broad canvas for creative exploration at the landscape scale. The projects we present here span the development and wide deployment of custom sensor node hardware, novel web services for providing real-time sensor data to end user applications, public-facing user interfaces for open-ended exploration of the data, as well as more radical UI modalities, through unmanned aerial vehicles, virtual and augmented reality, and wearable devices for sensory augmentation. From this work, we distill the Networked Sensory Landscape, a vision for the intersection of ubiquitous computing and environmental restoration. Sensor network technologies and novel approaches to interaction promise to reshape presence, opening up sensorial connections to ecological processes across spatial and temporal scales.

Engaging educators in the ideation of scenarios for cross-reality game-based learning experiences

“…One of the first examples of a cross-reality environment is ShadowLab [30], a system that interconnected the Responsive Environments Group Lab from MIT to its replica in the Second Life virtual world. More recently, Doppelmarsh [35] implements a virtual replica of a large-scale wetland restoration site in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A network of sensor nodes tracks environmental changes in the site, and the system translates them into wind, weather and seasonal conditions simulations in the virtual world.…”

Digital Planning and Design of Landscape Based on Intelligent Sensor Network

“…This paper discusses the application and trend of digital technology in landscape design and successively discusses 3D model and visual technology in landscape design [6,7], communication and collaboration in landscape planning and design [8], digital methods developed in geographical design [9], landscape planning and design of systematic thinking [10], and other digital landscape themes. In the conference held, we discussed on Representing, Evaluating, and Designing Landscapes: Digital Approaches [11].…”

E-seed

“…Botanicus Interacticus showcased the fusion of computing power and plants, living or artificial, that exemplify a broader variety of responsive devices around human presence for expressive interaction [38]. Besides technical advancement and democratization, Mayton and co-workers tried to boost our understanding and experience of ecology [28]. By deploying sensor networks to capture different ecological data, they advocated for environment restoration.…”