#dat501

Hidden Noise A sound-and-light installation that explores the invisible electromagnetic fields of Wi-Fi networks by turning the non-audible sound produced by a router into a light visualisation from which you can actually detect the noise using a light sensitive device. We spend nearly every moment of every day awash in Wi-Fi signals and other electromagnetic waves that we tend to think as something strictly related to our laptops, however there are lot of other creative ways to display them. Light and sound can play an important role in data visualisation by changing the everyday experience and raising the awareness around invisible technology.

Consisting of two parts, the first part of the interactive installation is made up by a pickup coil attached to a router, in order to increase the signal emitted, it’s connected to an audio stereo amplifier board which in turn is attached to an LED series circuit. The second part is the receiver and it’s designed to generate the interaction between the installation and the user, it is a simply photosensitive device connected to the input of a tiny hand held audio amplifier and a pair of headphones. The aim is placing the photodiode near a source of light to spot the LEDs connected to the router in order to hear the noise emitted by the device, to deceive the user and add some aesthetic to the whole project I put other diodes around the metallic wire to keep a technology-pervasive atmosphere.

I chose to place my project close to a router in a corner of the flight of stairs on the second floor of RLB, as it suits perfectly the main idea of my project, something hidden that we deal with every day and assume as normal but that sometimes underestimate its crucial function. When we think about electromagnetic waves and internet in general we can’t deny the fact that we are surrounded by invisible technology, it's all around us, quietly and constantly powering our access to the world's information. For the same reason we can consider this part of the building as a non-place, as explained by the anthropologist Marc Augé, an anthropological space of transience where the human beings remain anonymous and that do not hold enough significance to be regarded as “places”. To investigate and expand this concept I tried to give a visual interpretation of it by placing the metallic wires up the pipes along the wall and in between the bricks which can be seen both as the “veins” of a living part of the building or as camouflage code.

Biography Serena Milesi is a Communication Design student from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and she is currently taking part in an exchange program at Plymouth University. Her interests span from interactive art, light design, live music and pretty everything design related. As an incredibly curious person, she is always seeking new knowledge by surrounding herself with inspiring people and visiting creative places, as well as trying to combine her passions in what she does exploring pathways emerging from intersections between visual art and emerging technologies. She likes to think beyond a traditional art exhibition to create an experience that brings a social impact while encouraging people to get close with the work.

Documentation of the final project, all set up on the wall in the stairs.

The receiver is a photosensitive device powered by a 9V battery, connected to the input of a tiny hand held audio amplifier and a pair of headphones. The aim is placing the photodiode near a source of light to spot the LEDs connected to the router in order to hear the noise emitted by the device.

My equipment arrived on Friday, meanwhile I worked on a breadboard trying to set up an amplifier board following the attached circuit diagram. It wasn’t easy at all for me, I had to research some electronic stuff before actually build the whole circuit. I learnt new skills on the way, I tested it and after having some positive results I was proud of my achievements.

To test the small circuit I used a jack connected to my laptop, later I’ll change it with a female jack in order to connect the pick up coil. 

The first challenge was dealing with something I’ve never worked with before: circuits and electronics. But I was willing to learn new skills and to see the ideas I had in mind becoming real, so I researched and asked for a help to my tutors who gently gave me different suggestions and offered to test things together. One battery explosion later (my fault/head in the clouds) I was finally having some results, pretty reassuring I have to say.

First circuit: one LED, a capacitor and a battery:

Implementing the circuit by adding two other LEDs in series and a resistor: