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

William Gaver, Andy Boucher, Nadine Jarvis, Dave Cameron, Mark Hauenstein, Sarah Pennington, John Bowers, James Pike, Robin Beitra, Liliana Ovalle

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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 sociopolitical 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.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCHI 2016 - Proceedings, 34th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Place of PublicationNew York, NY, United States
PublisherACM
Pages1597-1607
Number of pages11
ISBN (Electronic)9781450333627
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 May 2016
Externally publishedYes
Event34th Annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2016 - San Jose, United States
Duration: 7 May 201612 May 2016

Publication series

NameConference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

Conference

Conference34th Annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Jose
Period7/05/1612/05/16

Keywords

  • Batch deployment
  • Batch production
  • Big data
  • Location-based systems
  • Research through design

Research Group keywords

  • Interaction Research Studio

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