Data Status: Composition I is the title of the work that through custom made software and Facebook application collects information about users on Facebook. Using an automated hardware system, user information that is collected with Facebook application is visualized on canvases, in real time, in front of the visitors of the exhibition. In this case the data that is visualized is the percentage of female and male friends of users on Facebook. Left side of canvases represents female friends and right side male friends. On the projection in other room, custom made software is downloading and showing data about current user but it doesn’t show what this data is about. This photos are taken on the first day of exhibition and as exhibition will go on, there will be more data painted o canvases.
In order to actively participate in this project, log into your Facebook account and grant access to this applications on following link http://apps.facebook.com/fdnk_web/
Data Status: Composition I – technical description:
1. Facebook application
Every user on Facebook can add Fejssken application that is custom made for this project. This application is gathering data about user – percentage of male and female friends, number of photo albums created by user, number of photos that user is tagged on, number of events…. Then this data is stored in xml file with unique user PIN, but without any data that can identify the user.
2. Processing
In exhibition space, visitors that have approved access to Fejssken application on Facebook can enter their unique user PIN generated by Fejssken in application written in Processing that is running on computer on exhibition. If correct unique user PIN is entered, this application is connecting to web server and downloads xml file with data about this specific user. When the data about user is loaded application is sending part of this data to Flash animation in xml form and another part over bluetooth connection to Arduino BT board.
3. Flash animation
This Flash animation is visualizing data received in xml document on projection on the wall in form of numbers and different color for different data.
4. Arduino
Arduino in this case, can receive data about percentage of female friends from this user that is painted on the left side of canvases, and percentage of male friends that is painted on the right side of painting. When arduino receives commands from Processing software over bluetooth connection, it executes programmed actions. This actions are starting two motors on each side of canvases that are moving paint roller on canvases. Motors can be activated in both directions, and depending on percentage of friends paint roller is moved on specific height in circular movement. For example, if some user haves 100% of female friends, paint roller, when is on the left side of canvases, will paint from bottom left to top center of canvases, if this percentage is 50% percent, then it will paint to half way to top.
When all actions are completed, paint roller is returned to starting position, and other user can enter code. It takes about 5 minutes to paint data for one user.