RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘places’

The Red Line: Moody Neon Light Installations in Remote Places

26 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

La Linea Roja

Red neon lights arranged in geometric shapes or casting eerie illumination onto darkened trees almost seem like a natural phenomenon in the vein of the aurora borealis, captured by photographers who manage to be in the right place at the right time. A glow coming from a slit in a snowy landscape or just under the surface of the sea hints at the presence of life forms just out of sight.

red-line-2

red-line-4

red-line-3

‘La Linea Roja’ by photographer Nicolas RIVALS carries on a longstanding tradition of introducing artificial lights to natural spaces for high-impact temporary art installations, but adds a little something extra in the form of a strikingly limited color palette, moody skies, black lines of tree silhouettes and surprisingly natural-looking compositions.

La Linea Roja

red-line-7

La Linea Roja

La Linea Roja

The Paris-based photographer installed the lights in various landscapes while on a trip through Spain, capturing the effect using long-exposure photographs.

La Linea Roja

La Linea Roja

red-line-12

Here’s what RIVALS has to say about the series:

“A red line woven over a journey through Spain, to connect Man with nature. A red line to fix a moment of poetry. Unreal scenes which existed for a night to disappear in the morning. An installation left as a proposition to the natural world. A luminous harmony between will and chance. Between tribute and sacrilege. Between the beautiful and the range. An aesthetic research on shapes engaging in dialogue with an asymmetrical nature.”

Share on Facebook





[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on The Red Line: Moody Neon Light Installations in Remote Places

Posted in Creativity

 

Beauty in Decay: Moody Murals Bring Human Faces Back to Abandoned Places

25 Oct

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

rone-murals-abandoned-places-1

Abandoned places are often steeped in a mixture of emotional impressions, commingling a sense of loss and a confrontation of our own mortality with slivers of hopefulness for a new future, as nature begins to take over what we’ve left behind. As we move through these deteriorating spaces, strewn with the belongings of former inhabitants who seem to have simply disappeared, we wonder who they were and why the spaces that once sheltered them as they went about their lives have come to this. It’s these emotional qualities that make a new series of murals by Australian street artist Rone all the more poignant and powerful.

rone-murals-abandoned-places-2

rone

Entitled ‘Empty,’ the series places the artist’s signature portraits of women on the walls of abandoned interiors, deepening their emotional weight. Much of the subjects’ glamour is stripped away as their skin takes on the texture of peeling paint, the lines of their faces are interrupted by fallen tiles and their gazes are pointed down at the destruction of their environments.

rone-murals-abandoned-places-3

rone-murals-abandoned-places-4

For the Melbourne-based artist, this series represents a shift from the smooth, clean surfaces of his canvases and even the more clear-cut exterior walls upon which his murals are typically painted. But Rone has always found meaning in the temporary nature of these installations, as the artworks are gradually worn away by the elements or painted over by vandals and other artists.

rone-murals-abandoned-places-5

rone-murals-abandoned-places-6

rone-murals-abandoned-places-7

Rone exhibited ‘Empty’ at the soon-to-be-demolished Star Lyric Theatre building in Melbourne, presenting photographs of the murals in situ along with works on canvas and paper. The artist also painted a new mural directly onto the back wall of the theater, stretching nearly 33 feet from floor to ceiling. It’s a fitting way for the decaying Art Nouveau building to go out, with Rone’s canvases lining its blackened and stained surfaces. See more photos of the installation at Street Art News.

Share on Facebook





[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Beauty in Decay: Moody Murals Bring Human Faces Back to Abandoned Places

Posted in Creativity

 

Park Places: 10 Paved Painted & Personalized Driveways

03 Oct

[ By Steve in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

painted-driveways-3a

Do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? These unusual painted driveways prove that when it comes to painted pavement, nobody’s really asphalt.

painted-driveways-3c

painted-driveways-3b

The Milne Boys Home in Gentilly, a neighborhood in New Orleans, LA was built in 1933 to house “orphans and troubled children” – an all too common social phenomenon in the Great Depression. Featuring a cluster of seven antebellum-style buildings, the facility closed in 1986 and was used only sporadically thereafter. Fast-forward to 2005 when Hurricane Katrina caused enough damage to make the campus completely unusable unless one was a squatter or drag-addict – or both.

In 2008, however, things began to change at the old Mllne Boys Home thanks to a multimillion-dollar injection of funding from the state, the city and FEMA. One of the site improvements concerned the campus’s winding driveway, contracted out to AORTA Projects.

painted-driveways-3d

“With the help of a crew of approximately 20 volunteers,” explains lead artist Jacqueline Bishop, “I painted the asphalt driveway of the Milne Boys Home with approximately 5,000 simple black bird silhouettes that were individually cut from original drawings and applied with Industrial Zone and Marking paint. Considering there are approximately 460 bird species in Louisiana, we stenciled a variety of these species in an effort to celebrate and raise consciousness about our unique and fragile environment.”

Bishop titled the finished work “Field Guide”. “After experiencing the power of Katrina while sitting in my house, the most immediate, haunting memory after the storm was the deafening silence. There were no birds for ages. It seems appropriate that this project can bring attention to birds who in turn bring life to abandoned areas in post-K New Orleans.”

Tile Of The Century

painted-driveways-4a

There’s not much we can tell you about the dazzling, impressionistic tiled driveway above, other than the fact it was photographed on April 1st of 2011… no foolin’! Kudos to Betty Broccoli of Betty’s Fashion Corner page at Tumblr for bringing some much-needed color into the gray monotony that is the pervue of far too many driveways.

Shock & Oz

painted-driveways-1a

painted-driveways-1b

Alas, there’s no Emerald City at the end of this yellow brick, er, asphalt road though the homeowner must be a wizard of sorts. Located just off Hwy 28 in Bailieboro, north of Port Hope, Ontario, this “brilliant” idea makes a weird sort of sense being there aren’t any visible road signs in the vicinity, so this is one way to attract notice (and alert the pizza delivery guy). On the other hand, the lemon-yellow laneway leads not just TO the highway but oozes over a significant portion of the soft shoulder… Mr Wizard can expect a visit from the Wicked Witch, er, the local county mountie sometime soon.

Treads On Me

painted-driveways-9a

You’ll find this patriotic piece of roadwork in Spafford, NY, fronting a home at the intersection of routes 41 and 174. Something tells us the jacked pickup that probably gets parked here sports a Confederate flag on its rear window, because freedom.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Park Places 10 Paved Painted Personalized Driveways

Share on Facebook





[ By Steve in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Park Places: 10 Paved Painted & Personalized Driveways

Posted in Creativity

 

Park Like a Girl: Women Frustrated with Pink “Ladies” Parking Places

19 Sep

[ By Steve in Culture & History & Travel. ]

ladies-parking-1

Sexism or security – why not both? Pretty pink women-only parking spaces show once again that best intentions can bring about unintentional consequences.

A curious fact about designated women-only parking is that many of the most obvious examples can be found in developing nations – societies not exactly known for egalitarianism and women’s rights. Travelers from First World countries who notice these “pink paradises” are often bemused by both the concept and the location, as is the case with Canadian blogger Maiya of Hungry Woman Eats who snapped the Ladies Parking section at the Gandaria City Mall in Djakarta, Indonesia.

Shanghai Surprise

ladies-parking-9a

ladies-parking-9b

ladies-parking-9c

Women-only parking has come under fire, however, from (among others) women’s rights groups who are offended by the pink paint, cutesy signage and (in some cases) the extra width allotted to each space. Some men are peeved as well, including a netizen who posted on xinmin.cn “Isn’t it a kind of discrimination against men drivers? Some men may be less skilled at parking than women.” Hurt feelings aside, who’s taking the fall for the glossy floors of these women-only parking spaces at the Wandu Center in Shanghai, China? You try navigating that slick expanse on a rainy day, loaded down with shopping bags, and wearing stilletto heels.

One Tire Over The Line

ladies-parking-3

Without the benefit of a distance-shot, we’ll just have to assume this rather stark and (mainly) sexism-free Ladies’ Parking sign at a Brescia, Italy rest area denotes at least two parking spaces reserved for the fairer sex. We’ll refrain from commenting on the above driver’s parking technique, however, and make no allusions to their gender. Kudos to photographer Stefano Bolognini, who visited the location – that may even be HIS poorly parked car – in 2007.

Turkish Delight

ladies-parking-4a

ladies-parking-4b

Why did ladies’ parking get the works? That’s nobody’s business but the Turks’… and business must be very good indeed at the MarkAntalya Mall in Antalya, Turkey. Not content with working up a couple of pink parking spots just for show, the mall has designated a whopping 450 parking spots for women, most of them selected for their convenient location to mall entrances. It’s “positive discrimination” in action – their words, not ours.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Park Like A Girl Women Frustrated With Pink Ladies Parking Places

Share on Facebook





[ By Steve in Culture & History & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Park Like a Girl: Women Frustrated with Pink “Ladies” Parking Places

Posted in Creativity

 

Devoted: 12 Weird & Unusual Election Polling Places

12 Sep

[ By Steve in Culture & History & Travel. ]

weird-polling-place-1aa

Voting in elections is one of our most cherished democratic rights but where we vote – and who the candidates are – can leave a lot to be desired.

weird-polling-place-1b

Polling places (or “polling stations”, as they’re known in the UK) are by their nature temporary establishments typically situated in schools or community centers. Sometimes, however, alternative voting locations must be set up when conveniently located suitable buildings are not available. Take the example above – the Urbanimal Pet Store in Chicago, IL – where local resident Barbara Hunter exercises her democratic rights while Oreo the cat exercises his legs.

A Grave Matter

weird-polling-place-2a

OK, so Chicago is notorious for its “deceased voters” but it’s not the only pace where those who’ve passed on can pass judgement on candidates. Here’s a polling station sign in the Wimbledon Church graveyard that looks eerily like the nearby tombstones. We wouldn’t be surprised if some nearsighted oldster leaves a bouquet of flowers at its base.

Election Re-Turns

weird-polling-place-3a

weird-polling-place-3b

Sure, most politicians are full of hot air and most voters are fed up with the windbags by the time election day finally rolls around. Well, what goes around comes around in Brighton, UK where returning officer Ahmed Jamee and volunteer assistants open a polling station set up inside the historic West Blatchington Windmill.

Political Life Finds A Way

weird-polling-place-feature-4a

One would hope the owner of this slapdash voting station in Mitrovica-North, Kosovo doesn’t have “Free Candy” scrawled on the other side of his van. Kudos to Flickr user Mitra Nazar for showcasing this small and conveniently mobile Balkan polling station in December of 2010.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Devoted 12 Weird Unusual Election Polling Places

Share on Facebook





[ By Steve in Culture & History & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Devoted: 12 Weird & Unusual Election Polling Places

Posted in Creativity

 

Terrapattern: Satellite Image Search Engine Matches Similar Places

31 May

terrapattern shipyard

A powerful tool for artists, designers and researchers, Terrapattern lets users seek out similar-looking locations from an aerial perspective, finding connections and patterns between disparate landscapes and built environments.

terrapattern culs de sac

The premise is simple: start with a single place, be it a park or street, stadium or shipyard, then let the tool work its magic. The results are uncanny: colors, textures and shapes tied together by computer vision and clever algorithms. The broader use cases are infinite, but specific ones are possible too, like: a user could look for abandoned ships floating around the island of Manhattan.

terrapattern abandoned ships

The system works by looking at its subjects in layers, looking for identifying features like curves, edges and shadows that indicate height. In a way, its task is similar than some pattern recognition software since it is not called upon to identify the subject, just match it.

terrapattern street grids

“For our purposes,” explain the creators, “‘interesting’ features are anthropogenic or natural phenomena that are not only socially or scientifically meaningful, but also visually distinctive—thus lending themselves ideally to machine recognition. Examples could include things like animal herds, methane blowholes, factories, destroyed homes, or logging roads. Many other patterns await discovery.”

terrapattern buses

The system draws on data from OpenStreetMap, combing through hundreds of thousands of images looking for something like whatever you submitted. Researchers can use tools like this to monitor natural habitats or make archaeological finds, but ordinary people can employ this tool to create art or make inquiries about the cities they live in. Even a quick tour around the engine reveals emergent macro-patterns from individual tiles, some worthy of wall art treatment.

terrapattern golf courses

Terrapattern’s creators are indeed excited for more non-standard and unexpected uses: “Terrapattern is ideal for discovering, locating and labeling typologies that aren’t customarily indicated on maps. These might include ephemeral or temporally-contingent features (such as vehicles or construction sites), or the sorts of banal infrastructure (like fracking wells or smokestacks) that only appear on specialist blueprints, if they appear at all.”


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Terrapattern: Satellite Image Search Engine Matches Similar Places

Posted in Creativity

 

Intelligent Design? 14 Strikingly Modern Places of Worship

25 Feb

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

modern church ribbon 3

Dramatic and sculptural, monolithic as a stone monument or light as a bridal veil, these churches, chapels and meditation rooms eschew conventional architectural typologies for places of worship, prioritizing the way the structures make visitors feel while they’re inside. Some emphasize a connection to nature, while others encourage internal reflection or symbolize the act of marriage with unexpected visual metaphors.

Minimalist Chapel
modern minimalist chapel

modern minimalist chapel 2

modern minimalist chapel 3

modern minimalist chapel 4

Reinterpreting the stark, minimalist works of sculptor Richard Serra in architectural form, this blade-like chapel rises from the flat grasslands of Serbia, offering a space for meditation. Stockholm-based architect Predrag Vujanovic creates a strong perpendicular line contrasting the landscape with just two main elements: the folded steel of the roof, and the cortex steel sheets making up the ramp.

Ribbon Chapel
modern church ribbon 1

modern church ribbon 2

modern church ribbon 4

modern church ribbon 5

Japan’s most striking wedding chapel consists of two separate stairways that spiral up to the sky, joining into an observation platform looking out onto the sea at the pinnacle. The space beneath is glassed in to create an airy interior fitting up to 80 guests. From the center of the nave, one can look straight up into the oculus skylight framed by the spiral of the ramp.

Kamppi Chapel of Silence
modern kamppi chapel

modern kamppi chapel 2

modern kamppi chapel 3

Solid wood and windowless, this egg-shaped chapel on the southern side of busy Narinkka Square in Helsinki, Finland offers a quiet place of refuge. CNC-cut, glue-laminated sections of timber create the curving walls of the striking space, leading the eye upward to the void between the perimeter and the roof, where sunlight streams in.

St. Voile Chapel
modern st voile

modern st voile 2

modern st voile 3

modern st voile 4

A series of white pipes climb the walls of the St. Voile Chapel by Kasahara Design Work, interweaving in flowing organic patterns as a visual metaphor for marriage. Located on the banks of Niigata’s Shinano River, the chapel is largely defined by the play of daylight on these interior lines, which streams in through a pair of skylights at the pinnacle of the steep and narrow roof.

Gratitude Open Chapel
modern open chapel

modern open chapel 2

modern open chapel 4

Set against the landscape of Lagunillas, Mexico like a series of four monumental stones, the simple white elements making up ‘Gratitude Open Chapel’ by Tatiana Bilbao + Dellekamp Arquitectos don’t actually form an interior space at all, but rather an outdoor gathering place for pilgrims making the holy ‘Ruta del Peregrino’ route.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Intelligent Design 14 Strikingly Modern Places Of Worship

Share on Facebook





[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Intelligent Design? 14 Strikingly Modern Places of Worship

Posted in Creativity

 

Improve Your Photography by Having Go-To Places to Shoot

22 Dec

There is a spot about 25 minutes west of the city. It is a spot right along the highway with a big sign that says, “Scenic Viewpoint”. Naturally it draws a lot of photographers. A quick look on Google will show a lot of sunsets shots, most with the guard rail along the bottom.

tree-on-cliff-2

Having 45 minutes before sunset, with a 20 minute drive, plus 10 minute walk, leaves no time to find and compose a shot. Being able to walk into the spot, set up and shoot makes some shots possible.

I know, I am one of them, making the scramble to get set up. Of course, it’s natural not to know the cool little spots when you are just passing through the area. However, after living in a place for some time, you start to learn of some go-to spots. You know, those places you can confidently walk into as the light is building, set up, and be there when the shot happens? If you don’t have a list of go-to spots you may want to consider making one, it can help you improve your photography.

Over the past couple of years that I’ve been shooting, I have developed a lengthy list of very specific spots (down to where the tripod stands) that all have their ideal season, weather, and time of day combination.

Peterson

After an hour of walking this area, I found the spot that aligns the features of this shot. This way if it looks like a certain shot might have good light, I can save myself a ton of hassle and just get to where I need to be quickly.

This is particularly important when shooting at night, the Milky Way, northern lights, etc. Night photography requires a lot of planning. To make an interesting shot, having good foreground and mid-ground objects is key, and just cannot be done blindly in the dark. Thus a lot of mediocre shots are required while scouting a new area. Learning the angles to line up items in your shot with features in the sky.

River aurora

This photo was taken on the third trip in to this spot. I knew everything would work, so when the auroras started up I was ready.

The whole process takes some time, but as you revisit locations you will become so confident about it being right, that you can walk up to that certain rock and set up. There’s no second guessing, and wasting time repositioning for a better composition.

Building your list of go-to spots

Most places I shoot, I return to many times. The first trip in is often just to gather info, and shoot some images to use for planning purposes. Here are a few tools that I use:

1. Facebook:

Yes Facebook can be useful, I am part of several Facebook photography groups and specifically one for my local area. Going out to photograph with other people, is a great way to learn an area. Just be careful not to poach another photographers exact go-to spot. I also find groups for other places that I plan to visit.

Ryanfisher2

Being invited along to an area with another photographers is a privilege. Be sure not to steal their go-to spot.

2. Google Maps and Images:

I use Google all the time to find new areas, specifically Maps, for looking into an area to see the lay of the land. The terrain is critical as to how the natural light will play into the shot. If a waterfall only shoots facing north, but you want the sunset behind it, then that will quickly rule out this spot for that shoot. However, it might make a fantastic spot to photograph the auroras.

3. The Photographer’s Ephemeris:

I use the Photographer’s Ephemeris to place celestial events. I won’t go into the ins and outs of the Ephemeris, but it will allow planning of moonrise, sunset, sunrise, etc., type of shots. It shows the azimuth, and time when certain events occur for any day of the year. Very handy if you plan to photograph the moonrise in a notch along a ridge, or something.

Ephemeris

If you are interested in getting a shot of the sun rising at the end of the lake you will have to wait.

4. Boots on the ground:

Research can only take you so far before you have to get your feet dirty. Making day hikes into a new area is by far the best way to explore a specific spot. Just make sure to get off the beaten path, if possible, to see what others might miss. This is also the time to get some shots which I call taking notes. The images can even be iPhone shots, because their purpose is to gather info. I always look at my images and quickly see better positions to shoot from, or a feature that went unnoticed.

Timing is everything when lining up celestial objects. Knowing your go to spot can help you get the most out of your shots. I wasn't by chance that the Milky Way lines up with that point of rock.

Timing is everything when lining up celestial objects. Knowing your go to spot can help you get the most out of your shots. I wasn’t by chance that the Milky Way lines up with that point of rock.

You get the idea. I guess there is a fifth note, and that is to just keep going into places and taking shots. I always see better positions to shoot from while going through my images. Having a lot of go-to spots is the result of simply going to a lot of places. Remembering how each spot shoots, and knowing when the conditions will work best.

Although I am a landscape and nature photographer, who focuses on night sky photography, I also know the value of go-to spots for portrait and wedding photographers as well. Knowing when and where to shoot can make or break your shots. Being able to reduce harsh shadows and wrong angles to make more of your shots usable.

Do you have any go-to spots near where you live? Share your images and comments with us below.

googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );

googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );

The post Improve Your Photography by Having Go-To Places to Shoot by Dave Markel appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Improve Your Photography by Having Go-To Places to Shoot

Posted in Photography

 

Car-Free Cities: 12 Pedestrian-Only Places from Venice to NYC

22 Dec

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

car free 42 3

It’s funny how the idea of a purpose-built, car-free city where everything you need is easily accessible on foot seems so modern, yet it’s actually a return to our roots. To some, banning automobiles from densely populated urban centers is a radical concept, but European cities like Venice and Brussels are giving architects and urban planners fresh inspiration for contemporary equivalents. Here’s a mix of historic car-free places around the world, and pedestrian-only proposals for cities like New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

NYC’s Broadway as a Pedestrian-Only Park
car free broadway

car free broadway 2

car free broadway 3

One of New York City’s best-known yet least-busy streets could transform into a pedestrian-only park, eliminating cars and trucks and providing green pathways to and from major public spaces like Times Square and Madison Square Park. The difference between converting a section of the city to a park and creating a car-free section is access to all of the businesses and public services residents need on a daily basis, so depending on how it’s handled, this could be a major, positive change to the way the city functions. The proposal, by Perkins Eastman, would also help Manhattan manage its drainage system, allowing water to be absorbed into the soil.

A Prime Pedestrian-Friendly Example: Venice, Italy
car free venice 1

car free venice 2

Quite simply the greatest pedestrian city in the world, Venice’s very walkable web of streets forbids almost all motor vehicle traffic, with dense buildings clustered around charming promenades and tranquil canals. Home to 70,000 residents and temporarily hosting many thousands more tourists year-round, Venice offers the same modes of transportation now as it did centuries ago, with its 118 small islands connected by over 400 bridges and accessible by boat.

Great City: China’s Car-Free Dream Oasis
car free china

car free china 2
Will China’s ‘Great City’ ever become a reality? There’s been no word on this project for a few years, but perhaps this entirely walkable city of 80,000 planned for a rural area outside Chengdu could still someday be built. The development bans motorized vehicles other than a mass transit system, and is organized around a series of high-rise towers surrounded by green public spaces. Walking from the center of the city to the parks takes just ten minutes.

Vision42: A New 42nd Street
car free 42

car free 42 2

car free 42 3

Citizens of Manhattan have come together to propose a reimagined and upgraded version of 42nd street in Midtown, adding a low-floor light rail system that travels through a landscaped pedestrian boulevard. Vision42 “welcomes pedestrians with space, greenery, and amenities, combined with speedy and efficient river-to-river travel, via a modern, at-grade, low-floor light rail line” adoptable within four years. The photos are downright utopian – imagine being able to navigate Manhattan on foot without the sound of honking horns and screaming cabbies.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Car Free Cities 12 Pedestrian Only Places From Venice To Nyc

Share on Facebook





[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Car-Free Cities: 12 Pedestrian-Only Places from Venice to NYC

Posted in Creativity

 

Density Sensor: Real-Time Data Shows Which Places are Packed

10 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

density location sensor

Online reviews indicate how popular your favorite place is in general, but cannot tell you whether now is a good time to drop by or if you may be stuck in a crowd or waiting in line – this is where the Density Sensor comes into play.

density sensor tracking

No need to resort to complex spatial mapping or real-time video sensors with this gadget, a people-counting device that simply tracks passages through doors (attached to the frame). Some more obvious applications include specific bars, restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses that have time-of-day and day-of-week cycles to contend with, but the same data can also help you pick the DMV or grocery store with the shortest line.

density incoming outgoing people

In turn, businesses can choose what data to share with customers and what to keep for optimization purposes, offering discounts during less busy times or adjusting when to open and close. Compared to non-networked break-beam technology or real-time surveillance cameras, there is no need to wait for data or face privacy concerns.

density sensor box

Of course, up-to-the-minute incoming and outgoing traffic are just a starting point – architecture firms, for instance, could use extended datasets to anonymously track customer or employee flows through a building and use that data to optimize going forward, shaping extensions or remodels. Ultimately, one could imagine this system being replaced by more detailed heat-mapped trackers keeping tabs on entire spaces, but for now this is a cheap solution to a long-standing problem.

Share on Facebook





[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Density Sensor: Real-Time Data Shows Which Places are Packed

Posted in Creativity