Waterwheel patch: using mobile device sensors for live participation in an online networked environment.

Abstract

This paper documents our current research into using mobile devices to integrate remote physical movement and sound into the online structure of Waterwheel's Tap, allowing participation away from keyboard and mouse based computers. We asked participants in Australia, Indonesia, Europe and the U.S.A. to explore their local waterways or bodies of water. Taking a cue from research using sensors in dance, we are using mobile devices carried by, or attached to, these participants in order to transmit location and motion sensor data, plus live audio, for use as experimental content, feedback and control sources for elements of the Waterwheel Tap while outdoors.