Connect or Not: Interaction with Wireless Networks and Their Effects on the Experience of Space

Abstract

This paper documents a series of experiments that explore the effects of wireless communication technology on the experience of space. Wireless connectivity and its infrastructure, un-sense-able to human body, are increasingly important in our interactions with the environment and with each other. In order to better understand the effects of wireless communication on space, interactive installations that enable a tangible experience of connectivity were used. Users’ network activity was recorded through a special system developed for these experiments, which evolved over the course of the research. The system gathered data on fluctuations of wireless signals in space and the interactive installations served as a ground for discussion on user experience. Combining qualitative interpretation of these discussions with an analysis of network activity, this work broadens the understanding of the complexity of cohabitation between humans, built structures and wireless infrastructures.