Data Sense: Facilitating Citizen Sense-making

How can the design of a mixed reality experience facilitate transparency of Internet of Things (IOT) sensors and data through citizen engagement with its infrastructure?

Katie Frohbose MGXD 2020

As pervasive, invisible, and ubiquitous computing occupies corners of public and private space in smart cities, it is becoming increasingly important for citizens to be informed and aware of the affordances and agency of data and sensing artifacts. Building awareness into the design of the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure can be difficult, due to its inherent invisibility. As such, designers need to consider ways in which new technologies can help bridge the digital–physical divide that the IoT transgresses. This investigation uses “Acts of Noticing” as the framework to bring a pedestrian into awareness of invisible IoT infrastructure. It explores how various technologies and touch points in digital and physical spaces can provoke pedestrian engagement with IoT sensors and data. It then investigates how embodied and contextual interactions in augmented reality can encourage sense-making of IoT sensors and data in new forms.

These figures illustrate level one of information that brings awareness to the sensors location and type through highlighting and textual overlays.