Community engagements with living sensing systems

  • Authors:
  • Stacey Kuznetsov;Will Harrigan-Anderson;Haakon Faste;Scott E. Hudson;Eric Paulos

  • Affiliations:
  • Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA;University of California, Berkeley, CA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 9th ACM Conference on Creativity & Cognition
  • Year:
  • 2013

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

We present the design and deployment of a bio-electronic sensing system. This system visualizes bacterial activity inside Winogradsky columns, which incubate soil samples to culture the naturally occurring microorganisms as they process metals and nutrients in the soil. Our month-long deployments with two urban communities offer insights into individual and collective appropriations of living sensing systems. These findings reveal future design trajectories that build on emergent themes in HumanComputer Interaction (HCI), including: new perspectives on materiality, which arise from integrating organic materials with the digital; a reframing of time, as systems shift from providing instant feedback to supporting prolonged engagement; and an emphasis on collective modes of participation beyond individual behavior change.