Thursday 19 May 2011

Make it physical

Two lovely pieces of work by Australian Mitchell Whitelaw


Measuring cup visualises (physicalises? concretises?) 150 years of Sydney temperature data as a small cup, made using a 3D printer:

Each horizontal layer of the form is a single year of data; these layers are stacked chronologically bottom to top - so 1859 is at the base, 2009 at the lip. The profile of each layer is basically a radial line graph of the monthly data for that year. Months are ordered clockwise around a full circle, and the data controls the radius of the form at each month. The result is a sort of squashed ovoid, with a flat spot where winter is (July, here in the South).


Weather bracelet visualises a year of Canberra's weather data:

The form consists of a single house-shaped slice, where the shape of each slice is based on temperature data from a single day. The width is static, the height of the peak is mapped to the daily maximum, and the height of the shoulder (or "eave") is mapped to the daily minimum.





Earlier this month, as part of the FutureEverything events in Manchester, the Data Dimension exhibition brought together data visualisations ranging from BERG's iPad light paintings to Zach Gage's 'Hit Counter'.

Personally, I'm picking the Dowse will be doing a show along these lines within the next 18 months. And guys, if you need some pointers for local talent - I know some people ....

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