Senseable City Guide to Amsterdam

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SENSEABLE CITY LAB SENSEable CITY GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM A AMSTERDAM SENSEable CITY GUIDE

COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ©2016 by SENSEable City Lab. We thank the City of Amsterdam and the All rights reserved. Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Cambridge, Massachusetts. Solutions for funding this research.

PRODUCED BY EDITED BY SENSEable City Lab David Lee Department of Urban Studies and Planning Annie Weisbrod, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Global Product Stewardship, P&G

WITH SUPPORT FROM AUTHORS City of Amsterdam Lily Bui Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Maxwell Jarosz Solutions Myung Duk Chung Charles Steelman FACULTY Wenling Li Carlo Ratti Alan Kwan

GRAPHIC DESIGN studio FM milano

PRODUCTION MANAGERS Ricardo Alvarez Matthew Claudel Anthony Vanky

PRINTED BY Puritan Press

PUBLISHED BY MIT School of Architecture and Planning

ISBN 978–0–9984189–2–6

SENSEable City Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology Building 9–209 | 77 Massachusetts Av. Cambridge, Massachusetts | 02139 USA T++ 1–617–2537926 | F++ 1–617–2588081 senseable.mit.edu

B S S B J S C P R J N M T C V R C F M B B T L P B L A Z M R B N M D W M S SENSEable CITY LAB – MIT – BOSTON series showcases this research which is is which research this showcases series cities with partnership in undertaken world. the across from City Lab invites students at the the at students invites Lab City Technology of Institute Massachusetts Design City Digital the in participate to to seeks workshop The Workshop. technological pragmatic, provide of concern key a address that solutions Guide City SENSEable The living. urban anticipating future trends, we bring bring we trends, future anticipating a over from researchers together on work to disciplines academic dozen innovative and ideas groundbreaking demonstrations. real–world SENSEable the year, academic Each research group that studies the the studies that group research and people, cities, between interface how investigates and technologies the and devices digital of ubiquity the networks telecommunication various impacting are cities, our augment that of goal overall an With living. urban Welcome to the SENSEable City Lab Lab City SENSEable the to Welcome multidisciplinary cutting–edge a – SENSEable CITY GUIDE SENSEable MAP WORLD

6 SCG Amsterdam / INTRODUCTION 7

C M S L B M A P B V T Z F B N R T M B S D R C M J P

L M S N J

R B B C S

AMSTERDAM

A1 / Verlichten A4 / Sterrennacht (‘Starry Night’)

A2 / Guiding Light A5 / Share the Shine

A3 / Hugging Light A6 / FlyLight

Amsterdam SENSEable City Guide

A1 / A3 / A5 / Verlichten Hugging Light Share the Shine by Lily Bui by Myung Duk Chung by Wenling Li

A2 / A4 / A6 / Guiding Light Sterrennacht (‘Starry Night’) FlyLight by Maxwell Jarosz by Charles Steelman by Alan Kwan

SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT

Amsterdam Introduction by Ricardo Álvarez

STREET LIGHTS OF the world and welcomes more AMSTERDAM than 750,000 visitors every year.

Street lights are a key piece of urban For the spring 2015 Senseable CIty infrastructure for cities around the world. Lab’s Digital Design Workshop class For centuries cities have been placing were given the task of reimagining the lamps on their streets in order to provide street lights of Amsterdam leveraging light to their public spaces and in a sense the potential of digital technologies. conquer the darkness of the night. It is in part because of street lights that life in What other uses for such a relevant piece cities flourish after sundown; that streets of urban furniture could be created? are safe, parks are filled with people In which ways could street lights and commercial activity continues. improve the lives and conditions of the citizens and visitors of Amsterdam? However, this comes at a cost. Street This was their design challenge. In lights account for up to 40% of cities preparation for this work the students energy consumption and are a known took a deep dive into the current cause of light pollution; as such there technological state-of-the-art intelligent is a pressing need to improve them. street lights being deployed in cities Given that there are more than one around the world and then challenged billion street lights around the world, the possibilities of their design. this is a monumental endeavor. This book showcases the creative Amsterdam, city of canals, the Venice output from the team, developed as a of the North has a long history with result of their field worked in the city street lights. It is here that Jan van and their design explorations of street der Heyden installed one of the first lights both as functional objects and street lights systems in Europe in 1669 urban system, and their potential for and invented a breakthrough lamp creating new services and experiences which channeled the smoke from for Amsterdammers to enjoy. oil lamps upwards cleaning the air around them and keeping their glass free of soot, a critical invention that helped multiply the adoption of street lamps around the world; within a few decades these lamps were installed by cities such as Paris, London or Paris.

Street lights in Amsterdam are also It is in part because of street lights a true architectural delight, creating decorative fixtures that bring beauty that life in cities flourish after to its streets and façades and provide a warm light glow that gives character sundown; that streets are safe, to its public spaces. The city is proud of both its artistic and technological parks are filled with people and heritage in regards to street lights and every year holds the Amsterdam commercial activity continues Light Festival, which showcases artistic and technological innovations from many light artists from around Above: streetlights in a courtyard in Amsterdam

STUDENT PROJECT BRIEF

Lily Bui’s Verlichten project focuses on communication platform capable of sensation during winter time that ways to help visually impaired people guiding and dynamically distributing enhances the livability and walkability navigate the city. She envisions using the thousands of tourists that everyday of the beautiful streets alongside the street lights as a system that provides visit Amsterdam and who often crowd canals and other districts of the city. guidance cues to people who can’t see many of the most popular destinations their surroundings; in order to do this in the city such as the train station, “Sterrennacth” by Charles Steelman she proposes to integrate a system of the red light district or the Rijks actually proposes to regain a bit of the intelligent 360° cameras capable of Museum. His “Guiding Light” project night sky, lost by way of light pollution. detecting a wide range of elements will create an interactive loop between He envisions a future network of street that could hit blind pedestrians such as tourists smartphones and geofenced lights paired with a series of sensors cars, cyclists or other pedestrians. Lily responsive lights that links the content such as photometers, digital image also tackled the challenge of designing of Amsterdam to the particular sensors and image processors capable an appropriate interface for visually interests of users, guiding them away of detecting pedestrian behaviors on impaired users. The system will interact from the crowds and towards the the streets and mapping accurate light with them by relaying safety directions rich history and culture of the city. and color conditions at a hyper-local through audio cues delivered via their level while leveraging a control system smartphones or through an intelligent Meanwhile Myung Duk Chung designs intelligent enough to modulate the cane capable of synchronizing to the a playful street light that “hugs” light output from each individual LED system hyper-locally in real time in order passerby’s with warmth. His “Hugging powered street light according to to create a safety bubble around them. Light” proposal integrates a series of a variety of spatial and use profiles. digital image and proximity sensors Through his design, Amsterdam could What do you do when you’re a tourist along with the use of computer vision create ideal illuminating conditions arriving in Amsterdam for the first time? technologies and an automated array of that allows its citizens to enjoy both the Do you go about your way risking on infrared micro-heaters embedded in the advantages that a street light provides getting lost or do you follow the crowd streetlight frame. The purpose of these as well being able to enjoy the beauty at the expense of time lost? Maxwell technologies is to provide localized of a starry night, a condition often Jarosz explores these questions and warmth that follows pedestrians lost from our modern metropolises. proposes to leverage the ubiquity of as they walk through the streets street lights to create an intelligent light of Amsterdam, creating a pleasant “Share the Shine” from Wenling Li on the other hand takes the idea of light in the following them as they walk along streets into a completely unexpected less illuminated and dense areas direction. Her exploration focuses in such as urban parks. A multi-drone bringing light and interaction to the synchronization system ensures that canals of Amsterdam, an important there is always a drone light available and iconic system of the city. In her --even when their batteries are close work Wenling discusses her design to being depleted-- while a strategic of intelligent water bicycles that placing of drones arrays along popular sense the water quality of the canals routes allows for a high level of service. while capturing images of the city In this sense Alan’s proposal provides an through their array of sensors. The intimate light for a variety of scenarios. bicycles connect and project their travels through digitized light-buoys distributed along key areas of the canals, and which are capable of projecting images using ultrasonically generated mist, allowing pedestrians to enjoy the iconicity of daily life in the city. Finally ,Alan Kwan challenges the fixed nature of street lights by using autonomous drones to create dynamic moving lights that follow users on-demand. He transforms existing street lights into charging stations for light-emitting drones capable of flying on their own to the geolocation of specific users smartphones while

Street lights in Amsterdam are also a true architectural delight, creating decorative ﬁxtures that bring beauty to its streets and façades and provide a warm light glow that gives character to its public spaces.

A1 Verlichten by Lily Bui

SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT pedestrian’s immediate vicinity. The data that this platform generates can reveal meaningful patterns of urban impaired visually the of mobility toward used be also can population.It sidewalks of crowdedness the mapping and roads in public spaces over time. One can imagine this data being used that can be used by visually impaired pedestrians. The system is responsive to the pedestrian’s location, creating a “safety bubble” around them, and it smart and phones smart with pairs also canes to convey information about potential hazards. pedestrians impaired visually Because cannot see the screens of their smart phones, auditory and verbal features help with navigating the interface. The mobile platform is “speaks” to the pedestrian in real time as s/ he proceeds along the commute, communicating information about oncoming pedestrian, cycling, or vehicle traffic. Visually impaired pedestrians can access this audio by way of smartphone or a smart cane. The pedestrian can make decisions about whether or not to continue on changetoroutespathor seektheand a less crowded path. The platform will be aware of the pedestrian’s theenters s/he astimes all location at sensing radius of each light pole and communicate information about the in order to monitor pedestrian, cyclist,pedestrian,monitor to order in and vehicle traffic on the sidewalk and road. The lighting infrastructure becomes a sensing platform wherein each camera pole’s locally senses its surroundings for people and vehicle traffic; generates data from low-resolution images; and relays the information to a mobile platform It uses 360 cameras deployed across deployed across It uses 360 cameras networklightingtheofinfrastructure glow fully in the presence of a person,presencethea fullyglowinof bicycle, or car -- not much has been done to maximize on the lighting urban in pervasiveness infrastructure’s space. The proposed “Verlichten” project involves maximizing on the ubiquity of urban lighting infrastructure as a location-based sensing platform to help visually impaired pedestrians crowded Amsterdam’s navigatesafely spaces. overcrowded spaces? The solution may solution The spaces? overcrowded lay in public lighting. Public lighting, one of Amsterdam’s major areas of investigation, is a ubiquitous form of infrastructure While city. distributedthethroughout there are a number of projects that use different explore to launched have cases for exploiting light’s form -- for instance, an “on-demand” lighting system called Tvilight designed by Delft University of Technology in which the street lights would only limitations of the visually impaired is clear in the statistics as well as in our site visit to Amsterdam. In interviews and meetings with city planners emerged an articulation of the desire create to inclusion, social for design to spaces that enable and encourage groups different between socialization of people. overcrowdingandaccess Problemsof provoke the question: how might we help technologiesto existingleverage navigate pedestrians impaired visually Though a vast majority of visually- impaired people live in urban environments, many are prevented from efficiently traveling in cities, especially true in unfamiliar areas. sensory of cognizant are that solutions the road will become less available. The same problem arises in parks and open public spaces that can be crowded without necessarily being The need for urban design noisy. cues, such as sound. further To complicate the scenario, the future of mobility in Amsterdam is certain to involve more electric vehicles and cyclists on the road, so auditory cues that help blind and visually-impaired pedestrians orient themselves to While sighted pedestrians can crowded is space a whether determine or not simply by looking, visually impaired pedestrians who cannot see or cannot see well must discern crowdedness through other sensory overcrowding in its major historical and downtown districts. Tourists flood commercial areas, deterring local residents from spending time or money there. Many report seeking avoid to routes commuting alternative crowds altogether. impaired are often an overlookedpart an often areimpaired to regard with population urban the of urban planning and design. At the same time, Amsterdam is currently struggling with issues of in all of Europe. The Dutch national in all of Europe. The Dutch national government is aware of this gap and is working to address it; for instance, they have inducted a “right to sight” campaign called VISION 2020 to raise public awareness about avoidable vision impairment. Still, the visually from efficiently traveling in cities, areas. In especially true in unfamiliar the Netherlands, there are 311,000 people with vision impairment, approximately 2% of the entire estimated an also are There population. 30 million visually impaired people person would rely on to navigate a the image of space -- street signs, painted borders oncoming cars, the of crosswalks -- are unavailable to you. Though a vast majority of visually-impairedpeople live in urban environments, many are prevented PROJECT DESCRIPTION Imagine for a moment that you are blind. The usual visual cues that a sighted

SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 16 SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 17 Right: urban light pole in downtown Amsterdam. under served populations as well as the as well as populations served under general populi. street for those who cannot see. As Amsterdam forges a path into a digitally-oriented future, a “design for all” approach in addressing overcrowding in the city ensures that this future will be one accessible to Verlichten in Dutch means “to illuminate,” which can be read two different ways -- both to irradiate a surface or to make something known and bring forth knowledge. The Verlichten platform employs the the on eyes as act to structurelighting more information about crowding in more information about crowding in Amsterdam as of outside from visiting tourists as well thecitycanbenefit fromthedata this platform generates. toward urban planning applications applications toward urban planning pedestrians by use everyday as well as who simply want to plan commuting routes based on foot traffic in certain areas. Local residents who would like not provide real-time feedback about space. Interviews with individuals who have worked with visually impaired communities or are visually impaired themselvesrevealsomedetails about what information blind/visually impaired pedestrians expect on the visuallythat loadcognitive street.The impaired pedestrians must pay acute the where names,street -- to attention street is in relation to the sidewalk, direction street, the in lanes of number when to cross the street,of traffic, whether they are on the left or right sidewalk,nearby buildings and traffic light, etc. -- is further complicated by having to navigate crowds of people, on top of also having to navigate nonhuman obstacles. The cane is a natural interface for the visually impaired pedestrian. Above: visually impaired pedestrians can use a mobile app to interface with the Verlichten sensing platform. visually impaired are directed mostly at the fact that place-based apps do While electronic aids for visually impaired pedestrians do exist, It is important to keep in mind that even a combination of non-visual sensory input will give a visually-impaired person an insufficient perception of electronicCurrentspace.audio-based guides to cities require extensive trainingto use and are not consistent in design nor are they reliable. That place-based apps do not provide real- time feedback about space. Critiques of current smartphone apps for the prompt the cane to play a vibratory as hazardthe of directionthe in signal an ancillary warning of obstructions. The cane is a natural interface for the visually impaired pedestrian; a object an of use makes signal vibratory to usingalreadypedestrian is the that convey information. in walking is pedestrian the when Thus, deployed platform sensing the city, the on the lighting system serves as the “eyeson the street” for those who are visually impaired. smart cane, the mobile app would also would app mobile the cane, smart impaired pedestrian can then make or whether about time real in decisions end the At route. her or his alter to how would pedestrian the commute, the of simply close the app. Paired with a vehicles in the vicinity. For example, tellwillintersection, busyapp thea at approaching. are cars if pedestrian the In parks, which can be crowded yet relatively quiet, the app will tell pedestrians when cyclists or other pedestrians are nearby. The visually it running. Along the commute, the Verlichten sensing platform will track where the pedestrian is in relation to the sensing grid. In especially to “speak”will app crowdedtheareas, the pedestrian in order to alert him or her about pedestrians, cyclists, or a mobile app enabled with voiceover pedestrian about information access to traffic. At the beginning of a commute, the visually impaired pedestrian would open up the mobile app and leave INTERACTION The Verlichten project addresses the gaps in existing technologies for the visually impaired. Within this system, guide,human a ofabsence the in even visuallyimpaired pedestrians can use PERSONAL

SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 18 SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 19 The platform can also be synced with smart canes, which can vibrate as an ancillary alert to the pedestrian.

Above: a pedestrian constantly has a “safety bubble” around them, which activates nearby camera sensors. When potential hazards platform are present, the Verlichten communicates this to the pedestrian through audio on the mobile app. would collect data about the crowdedness of urban areas, which repurposedtowardpotentially be can as well as planning and mapping urban forsimilar crowd apps forthe sighted population. This initial design is specifically for the Knowledge Mile, an area in Amsterdam slated for development into an innovation district by 2018. It spans the length of Wibautstraat on Unlike city. the of side southeastern the Knowledge the Amsterdam, downtown a take can and sidewalks wider has Mile pedestrians for time of amount longer to walk from one block to the next. and live people impairedvisually Most in such environments, making travel it an ideal test site. Each light will be “aware” of its vicinity and be able to relay that information to individuals with the companion mobile app or a smart cane. pedestrians, providing a more secure spaces. way to navigate unfamiliar Instead of having to rely only on cues in the built environment, Verlichten gives real-time feedback about the immediate environment via a more ubiquitous interface, a mobile phone and a cane. The data that the Verlichten platform Left: The Knowledge Mile is slated to be Amsterdam’s new innovation district by 2018. A“safety bubble” for visually impaired pedestrians walkingthrough the plaza and dim or along their trajectory. brighten lights This is one of the first steps toward using lighting as a sensing platform for maximized be potentially could that other sensing cases. The Verlichten system would not only enable tracking types of crowds in real time; it would also allow for of sidewalks better accessibility pedestrians for visually impaired creates it effect, In city. the throughout impairedvisually for bubble”“safety a order to experiment with how to use paired systems lighting programmable with sensors that detect pedestrians slowly when it is not. However, visuallyimpairedcodifiedsystemsfor nor ubiquitous neither are pedestrians recent In Netherlands. the in consistent years,“smartalight” system hasbeen installed at Hoekenrodeplein, a plaza in front of the Amsterdam ArenA, in URBAN INTERACTION Amsterdam currently has accessible crosswalks that generate a sound for when it is safe audibly faster pedestrians to cross and more

SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 20 SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 21 pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicle traffic within the camera’s radius. Above: the Verlichten cameras detect Above: the Verlichten Above: the pedestrian “safety bubble” activates the network of cameras the pedestrian moves through it. extracted from the image file, there is To itself. file image the save to need no ensure the privacy of pedestrians on the street, the images are discarded immediately after the software analyzes the image and renders the and collected data the Ultimately, data. archived by the platform can be used patterns mobility understand better to of the visually impaired; identify visually for areas hazardous potentially impaired pedestrians; and contribute to knowledge about the makeup of crowds across the city. Above: a low-resolution 360 camera is mounted on lighting infrastructure, providing for ubiquitous crowd sensing. Right: how the technological components interact with each other. vibrate in the general direction of the threat. data is Because the analyzed anticipate oncoming traffic, then broadcast warning message to the pedestrian before they cross the network.warning3GThe streeta over message will be delivered in the form of audio on a smartphone. If the pedestrian has a smartcane, it can be paired with a mobile phone through Bluetooth. Whenever the mobile phone receives a warning message, the smart cane will simultaneously warning. ancillary an as serve to vibrate Smart canes containing an internal compass can also be programmed to for on-demand image processing as running system the leaving to opposed perpetually. The cameras are connected in a mesh network and can thus be responsive to each example, For other. if an oncoming vehicle is approaching a impaired visually the where crosswalk pedestrian is situated, the mesh network will be able to sense and Smartphone GPS locates the user and also generates a 300-meter “safety bubble” or geofence around the Thisuser. safety bubble activates all allowing vicinity, its in sensors camera a cloud server, an algorithm analyzes an algorithm analyzes a cloud server, the images and parses them for an approximation of pedestrian and data The area. the within traffic vehicle publishedand string a as exportedare to an API, then also archived. smart cane. The 360 camera sensors are mounted on light poles distributed throughout gather low- The cameras the city. resolution images between 20 and 60 fps throughout short intervals. In components in order to function: a 360 a function: to order in components whose pole light a on mounted camera image radius serves as a geofence; smartphone GPS; 3G to relay local to sensor camera the from information the phone; and Bluetooth technology that can pair a smart phone with a TECHNOLOGY INTERACTION This system relies on these core

SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 22 SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 23 after the softwareaftertheanalyzesimage the and renders the data. The images are discarded immediately discarded are images The In

worked on Capitol ; helped produce the at ArchiMedia, a writing and rhetoric lab that explores various aspects of science communications. Previously, she worked as a STEM Story Project Exchange Radio Public the at Associate (PRX) and the Executive Editor at Discover and CitizenSci, PLOS SciStarter, Citizen Science Salon. Magazine’s past lives, she show Re:sound for the Third radio out Coast International Audio Festival of WBEZ Chicago served in D.C.; Hill in Washington, AmeriCorps in Montgomery County, Times York New a for worked Maryland; performed and ghostwriter; bestselling as a touring musician. Lily Bui Lily Bui is a masters student in MIT’s Media Studies program. Comparative Her research focuses on the use and urban in data sensor of representation assistant research a also is She contexts.

SCG AMSTERDAM / A1 / VERLICHTEN 24 A2 Guiding Light by Maxwell Jarosz

Guiding Light

SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT lighting grid to collect data on urban amount the on data record will It flow. of people and direction of movement, with the data collected being used to decongest will This crowds. the alleviate the historic center to alleviate the disneyfication of the city. buildings has led to a false sense of the “historic” Amsterdam that is mostly occupied by tourists, similar to an amusement park, Disney-Land. most of the center is Currently, occupied by residents staying from listed. rooms 11,000 almost with airBnB Guiding Light aims to use the redevelopment of the urban street historic center. This has led to many historic center. of the citizens moving out of the city center and moving into other parts of the city. The UNESCO mark on all of the the crowds. the tourists, the crowds and For lines make them miss some of the The see. to coming are they attractions massive amounts of tourists have led to a feeling of Disneyfication of the small city center gets so congested that congested so gets center city small people can barely move in the street. This makes it tough for tourists to get live that people the for also but around, the citizens in Amsterdam, there. For taking up wind can errands small even large portions of their day because of Guiding Light aims to take on one major issue in Amsterdam, overcrowding. Amsterdam is a very popular tourist destination, so much problem. major a becoming is it that so, With over 15 million tourists in 2014, Amsterdam-Centrum, Amsterdam’s Amsterdam Tourist Crowds Amsterdam Tourist PROJECT DESCRIPTION

SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 26 SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 27 Amsterdam Tourists compared to Disney World compared to Disney World Amsterdam Tourists (Million/per year) Tourists Amsterdam Population vs Tourists/Year (Millions) Tourists/Year vs Population Amsterdam Amsterdam Population vs Tourists/Year (Millions) vs Tourists/Year Amsterdam Population Amsterdam Centrum vs DisneyWorld Amsterdam Centrum Year Per Visiters Amsterdam Centrum vs DisneyWorld Amsterdam Centrum Year Per Visiters Amsterdam Population vs Tourists Amsterdam Population Amsterdam Population vs Tourists Amsterdam Population Amsterdam Centrum vs DisneyWorld vs Amsterdam Centrum Year Per Visiters 0 5 0 0 5 Amsterdam Population vs Tourists Population Amsterdam 0 3 9 6 10 15 0 3 9 6 10 10 15 20 0 30 50 Amsterdam Centrum vs DisneyWorld Amsterdam Centrum Sq Miles 25 10 40 0 5 20 30 50 12 Amsterdam Centrum vs DisneyWorld Amsterdam Centrum Sq Miles 15 20 25 40 0 12 15 20 3 9 6 10 15 0 10 20 30 50 Amsterdam Centrum vs DisneyWorld Amsterdam Centrum Sq Miles 25 40 12 15 20 posts in the way. Later in the night, the secondary lighting is activated which creates a light that engages more traditional the need for constant light between two posts. These lights are angled to illuminate the periphery of people walking. light redesigned the of slenderness The allows portion acrylic large a with post, the in thumb sore a of less become to it more enjoy to walkers allow and scene, large without city the of scenery the of Anne Frank museum, the app could the app could museum, Anne Frank Frank Anne the at forming lines of warn to go there first,museum so and then second. walk to the Rijksmuseum the The second way is through lightpost. night the lights Early in the an acrylic tube shine vertically into producing a which diffuses the light The light. harsh less and intimate more create tube glowing and nature diffuse at body a more intimate relationship streets lights height to a person than down. that just shine directly getting comparisons to crowd levels on based plans their organize help and example, if a person those levels. For was walking to the Rijksmuseum and want to find a more social and lively setting they can use it in the reverse to find areas that are very active and select a spot they are interested in. with their phone can interact Tourists to maximize their time in Amsterdam and locations desired their entering by to go to how the crowds are. In one sense this can be helpful to reroute or determine the amount of time to in another they can use run errand.; this to find alternate locations as well to help avoid getting stuck in the crowds. During the night when they is a line, without having to physically is a line, without having be there. efficiency increase to aims also API The for people on a day to day basis. The with their citizens can now interact phone to compare places they need API ran through Google Maps. This API ran between interaction personal a creates phone, and their a person, their smart same time. Users environment at the areas to can see images of certain crowd levels to check in real time the there if or go, should they if determine Guiding Light interacts with people with people interacts Guiding Light first The scales. different vastly two on the smartphone. scale is through through an comes This interaction PERSONAL INTERACTIONS

SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 28 (2.6km) 32 min via Historic Route by: Guiding Light Platform Explore SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 29 32 min 2.6 km 58 min 3.1 km 2 hr 4 km -De Dam House -Anne Frank’s -Canal Walk Gogh Museum -Van -Stedelijk Museum House -Anne Frank’s Via Fastest Route Via Historic Route Via Museum Route Select Route Type Select Route (2.6km) 32 min via Historic Route by: Guiding Light Platform Explore Type Location Type 2 hr 4 km 58 min 3.1 km 32 min 2.6 km -Anne Frank’s House -Anne Frank’s -Canal Walk Gogh Museum -Van -Stedelijk Museum House -Anne Frank’s -De Dam Via Museum Route Via Fastest Route Via Historic Route Select Route Type Select Route Type Location Type Lighting through acrylic tube

SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 30 SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 31 Perimeter Lighting Perimeter (2.6km) 32 min via Historic Route by: Guiding Light Platform flows to extreme summer flows. It can It flows. summer extreme to flows transportation new plan to used be also which knowing as such developments, which streets should be pedestrian, streets. wider or lanes, bike more need compared to This data can also be such as new local economic factors near open places of types or openings, to see where or away from crowds where they are the people are going, growing is city the how and spending, flow. urban the off based changing and understand and analyze its own urban own its analyze and understand flow. This information can be useful for centrum the into back citizens bringing by showing specific streets that see normal comparing by traffic tourist less relaxed environment where people where people relaxed environment their day without suffering can enjoy problems of from the inherited the allowing still while Disneyfication, market. tourist vast the of profit to city interactions. There is also the unseen with the is interacting The camera The data people to collect data useful also is system this from collected By giving the city for urban planning. how and where both on data accurate city, its throughout moving are people truly to city first the be can Amsterdam Phone Displays Interface The results of the system also effect the reducing by interactions urban the more a creating city, the of congestion LED’s becomes increasingly easy and becomes increasingly easy LED’s scale activities can then engage large as such city, the throughout happening to represent turning the lights orange Day or to national pride on King’s the national soccer team. celebrate system changes the way the city is system changes the the way it is light and thus changes lighting experienced. More intimate moving through engages the people it, smart controls over the LED while for efficiency increased an allow lights through Controlling colors the city. This project interacts with the urban with the interacts This project The in multiple ways. environment the physical space of first is by the lighting Redeveloping the urban city. URBAN INTERACTIONS

SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 32 SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 33 Plan View of Guiding Gradients of Guiding View Plan Gradient of Brightness Guiding Path Light Posts Respond to Individuals in the Respond Crowd Light Posts Electric Connection Electric Grid Power City 1/4” Acrylic Tube 1/4” Cables Electric Frame Tube Steel Extruded Removal/Upgrade Easy for System Bolt Reflective Cone Reflective Container Filled Sealed Argon Camera Processor Wifi/4G 3mm LED Strip Lighting Angled Perimeter TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 34 SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 35 -Paths -Destinations -Landmarks Volumes Urban -Previous Information Systems to Cross Ref to Cross Systems Information CLOUD PHONE -Paths -Destinations -Landmarks Volumes Urban -Previous Information Systems to Cross Ref to Cross Systems Information CLOUD PHONE 4G Post 4G Post optimum paths, landmarks, and related related and landmarks, paths, optimum create to users allows This destinations. the city ways of filtering very specific solving while prefences their on based crowd. major issues in the one of the The urban flow data is then used The urban flow data by the API to determine the best route avoiding the massive tourist congestion, to find the most active areas at night time, or show areas of do this it compares recent crime. To the destination or route style of your choice, and then cross references with volumes of people, gps data, based urban flow analysis. While using using While analysis. flow urban based it unwrapping and picture panoramic a system this processing, more take does the premise that is developed under becomes continually power processing and the amount cheaper and smaller, in collected be can that information of also is It use. more of is panoramic one a of part first the is this that presumed to images same the use can that system being as such data of types other relay and any traffic, used for crime, urban other future uses. The information is transmitted through through transmitted is information The the and processed with a 4G signal to create an imaged entire system Unwarped Image Unwarped At the top there is a camera that takes that camera a is there top the At image The cone. reflecting a off images is then sent to the cloud where it is values x,y,z assigned then and unrolled dumps the image. to targets in range, replaceable as the system is upgraded upgraded is system the as replaceable tube allows in the future. The acrylic to create a diffuse lighting conditions citizens, with experience intimate more while perimeter LED lighting exists to of light.create a wide enough range as possible, reaching a maximum as possible, reaching of only 4”. It is made up of an radius 1/4” a with frame, aluminum extruded tube that allows thick frosted acrylic ground to run all the cables from the on the the way up to the electronics easily be to developed is frame The top. The technology for this project has has for this project The technology The in two parts. been developed the redesigned street first part is an the second lighting infrastructure, The for Google maps. API developed has lighting street the for infrastructure skinny and sleek a be to designed been

SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 36 SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 37 Unwarped Image Unwarped A recent project he completed was a concrete wall, embedded translucent with and LED matrix to engage both the interior and exterior in new ways. programmable He has also done work on applying sensors to architecture to perform a in analysis computational of feedback real time. Maxwell Jarosz in student graduate a currently is Max the Architecture Department at MIT. new applying are interests current His material in architecture to technologies explorations.

SCG AMSTERDAM / A2 / GUIDING LIGHT 38 A3 Hugging Light by Myung Duk Chung

SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT The classic, Korean Movie (1998) The classic, Korean the movie, the male actor turns street the movie, the male lamps on and off in order to attract the woman whom he loves. Light and attention, call to way a as act electricity Urban affect. of mode certain a reach to might be used as a infrastructures In this mechanism to express oneself. a becomes lamp street a case, particular emotions. medium for people’s The project’s initial idea was inspired initial idea was inspired The project’s the classic (1998) by a Korean movie, between which shows the interaction In sensibility. the digital with human Encounters with theunexpected makes joyful. life the world. However, it is important to it is the world. However, with remind people about interacting Therefore, the senses. our “analogue” combine to designed is light’ ‘hugging our sense of touch with how we perceive the city lighting system. warming, to communicate information communicate to warming, conditions to about environmental Amsterdam citizens. with Invoking human sensitivity digital technology is one of goals of are living in a time this project. We and revolutionary change in of rapid euphoric state in unexpected ways? euphoric state in unexpected existing This project engages and urban innovative technology It is possible to infrastructure. ubiquitous reimagine using the Amsterdam in lamps street of structure global as platforms to address PROJECT DESCRIPTION rises, its light can touch When sun forth many ways and bring people in euphoria.a state of city street What if the same lamps could also prompt

SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 40 SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 41 II II II street, but playgrounds. Interaction Light and heat bring people together and provide a place for them to In socialize and play with each other. this sense, the streets are no longer I I I Existing Infrastructure throughout distributed are lamps Street cities, which can be nodes for There are electrical and technology. steel structures to support different embedded be could that technologies in them. T light.’ City Lab, Global Warming, uses City Lab, Global Warming, human our with interact to technology perceive sensors project, this In senses. the position of people nearby and project a warm light in their specific for concept same the is This direction. the technology used in the ‘hugging Innovative Technology Senseable MIT from project previous A Parabolic mirrors reflect infrared light infrared reflect mirrors Parabolic it to the people’s and concentrate structure moving a not is This position. but fixed system. The sensor detects position and distance. people’s 360 degrees around the frame. Ten infrared lights are installed infrared Ten arrayed are they and frame, in vertically

SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 42 SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 43 Simulation #6 Simulation #3 Simulation #5 Simulation #2 Simulation #4 Simulation #1 1. Existing Structure 1. Existing 2. Sensors 3. Reﬂector Light 4. Local Warming 5. Glazing Sequence of Movement # 3 This is not a movable structure but whole ﬁxed system. Sequence of Movement # 2 off and on turn lights the makes it Then movement. according to the person’s When a person approaches the distance the detect sensors the system, and angle at which the person is approaching. Sequence of Movement # 1 TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 44 SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 45 Intensity Intensity Beam Low Intensity Intensity Beam High ‘Hugging light’ becomes another way to make Amsterdam an even more beautiful and ornamental city. behaviors, such as raising hands, deliver deliver hands, raising as such behaviors, signal to the sensor and can increase the density of light. lights. street with play can people Now, Their interesting gestures generate diverse light with different density, urban scene. which decorates The sensors also detect the distance and people and post light the between example, For beam. of density controls in the case of d1, the beam has low intensity and of d2, the beam has higher intensity than d1. speciﬁc As a user interface, people’s 1. Thermometer 2. Thermal Camera 3. IR Depth Sensors 4. Main Board 5. Light Connection Lights 6. Infrared

SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 46 SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 47 1 3 be assigned to popular spots in the city the in spots popular to assigned be and people of density the analyze and ﬂow of tourists. change between January and April as well as September and December. 2 4 The City of Amsterdam can also collection data a as system this develop can lights The planning. urban for tool Eventually, this project can also make Eventually, environment the of aware more people in public spaces. This design is proposed for periods of seasonal Hugging light will provide space to will provide space Hugging light and their weather, gather in cold interaction more invite might presence analogue with the cityscape. This stimulate will technology with reaction new activity in Amsterdam. The far. still can slowly walk who Those hurry is seldom worth it.

SCG AMSTERDAM / A3 / HUGGING LIGHT 48 A4 Sterrennacht (‘Starry Night’) by Charles Steelman

SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT will provide rich, real-time data on will provide rich, real-time the throughout activity and levels light success, however, The project’s city. the increased will be measured in the within from visible stars of number such a lighting Most importantly, city. the with city the reconnect will system universe so that Amsterdam will once Gogh’s again become the city of Van brushstrokes. Sterrennacht is an intelligent lightingintelligent an Sterrennachtis system designed to minimize the effects of light pollution. will illuminate zones within the city in city the within zones illuminate will different ways and the sensor system historic association, disconnected from from disconnected association, historic Sterrennacht will the historic center. help improve the image of Noord to thus alike, visitors and Amsterdammers helping to achieve a major planning initiative of the city. the project will provide Overall, increased visibility and a sense of adverse the reducing while wellbeing, health effects of light pollution. The system will respond to the many unique features of Amsterdam and changing under adjust continually will conditions. Unique lighting strategies Further, the system’s full-spectrum the system’s Further, capability will adjust its color output according to the time of day and light artificial and natural surrounding and visibility optimize both to sources caused disruption biological minimize luminance. by improper spectral in installed be initially will project The the represents it as Amsterdam, Noord only viable expansion area of the city by the IJ River, but is both physically, negative through psychologically, and City of Amsterdam. By sensing the City of Amsterdam. luminance (light intensity) and chroma (color) of its surroundings, the system will effectively create a Its real-time light map of the city. diffuse, full-spectrum LED luminaires to automatically will be programmed the four major causes of counteract light pollution: skyglow (brightness of the night sky over an urban area), light trespass (light falling where it is not intended or needed), glare (harsh, bright light which reduces visibility) lighting). over (unnecessary clutter and represent. public Sterrennacht is an intelligent to minimize lighting system designed in the the effects of light pollution and reproduction habits of countless this to side spiritual a is There species. issue as well – humans have lost their infinite the and stars the to connection bounds of the universe that they also has serious implications for human human for implications serious has also rates, metabolic and rhythms circadian having been linked to sleep disorders, and, cardiovascular disease, obesity, pollution’s Light cancer. possibly, quite effects extend into the animal realm migration the disrupt to known are and Further, the City of Amsterdam is a Further, is and lighting in innovation for center an ideal candidate to lead the way in addressing this global issue. Light pollution is not only inefficient but governments local our to costly and with bright spotlights. With 99% of the European Union affected by this issue and 93% of all outdoor lighting consisting of public possibility the has project the lighting, of making a meaningful impact. unresolved and, in fact, continues to 6% of rate global a at unchecked grow Such strong growth comes per year. from the almost universally accepted notion that more light means greater As safety. public increased and visibility flooded become have cities our result, a Many newer public lighting systems pair sensors with efficient LED luminaires to create dynamic lighting systems these of goal the but systems, has focused primarily on energy Meanwhile, the issue of efficiency. pervasive light pollution remains been achieved at the expense of the been achieved at the to is objective Sterrennacht’s sky. night concern resolve a major unaddressed lighting with our existing public systems – light pollution and its ill effects. people back in touch with nature. Great Great nature. with touch in back people human the to afforded been have gains public terms of productivity, in race, to live in a “city safety and the ability Thomas that never sleeps”, through incandescent the of realization Edison’s have gains these but 1879, in bulb light PROJECT DESCRIPTION to (‘Starry Night’) aims Sterrennacht evolutionary disconnect bridge the and virtual natural between man’s bring to technology utilizing by selves

SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 50 SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 51 0% 33% 67% LIGHT POLLUTION 100% Cover: Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ as a Cover: Vincent Van backgrop to Amsterdam’s famous canal houses. Above: night sky above a city showing a spectrum of light pollution levels from typical AFTER Right: graphic depiction of dynamic functionality of lighting system. be created. A person’s interaction with interaction person’s A created. be the beyond far extend will Sterrennacht to designed is it – itself system lighting night the with city entire the reconnect can it that wonder of sense the and sky inspire. Institute before Left: street-level view of Eye Film and after instalation. Stars will become more visible in Amsterdam. BEFORE biological effects of light pollution are pollution light of effects biological the stars minimized. Most obviously, Amsterdam in visible more become will but especially in residential and park will visibility sky of canyons where areas locations being lit in brighter and and dense less and hues exciting more quieter areas being lit in dimmer and while more calming colors. Further, people may not recognize its source, they will experience more restful wellbeing as the sleep and overall attention, the area will be noticeably more even and pleasantly lit than before. While subtle, the color spectrum changes of the lighting system will indicate activity zones within the with more crowded and bustling city, A citizen of, or visitor to, Noord A citizen of, new completely a have will Amsterdam with relationship and for appreciation the city once the system is installed. While Sterrennacht is designed at the periphery of our to operate PERSONAL INTERACTION

SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 52 SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 53 2:00 20:00 23:00 System maintains minimum light to respond to ready always is but level, changing conditions. Sensors recognize tram or car Sensors recognize tram which emit additional light, activity, and respond accordingly to avoid overlighting. Sensors recognize slow-moving Sensors recognize slow-moving respond by pedestrian activity and light.providing dim, diffuse 1:00 22:00 19:00 off and respond by dimming lights to minimum light level. Sensors recognize indoor lights going Sensors recognize fast-moving cycling cycling fast-moving recognize Sensors activity and respond by providing brighter light. (medium intensity) as people leave (medium intensity) work and eat dinner. Light level increases as natural light as natural Light level increases “relaxed” to shifts Spectrum decreases. 24:00 18:00 21:00 Spectrum shifts to “serene” (low intensity) as people go to sleep. Spectrum shifts to “excited” (high Spectrum shifts to “excited” drinks for up meet people as intensity) and partying. Sun sets, lights slowly turn on to Sun sets, lights slowly light level, as maintain minimum detected by sensors. CENTRAL FERRY TO AMSTERDAM patchy light, dark corners, and spot lighting, a major source of glare, sky glow, and uneven light. Such intelligent placement of lighting will providedonly is lightthat ensure help where, when and at such a level and spectrum that is needed. The natural dynamically will city the of movements adjust the output of the lighting luminaires so as to optimize lighting conditions throughout the The city. project will install diffuse luminaires which do not emit light upwards so as to provide uniform luminance at ground level. Gone are the days of A-LAB TWENTY4 Further, the light map will assist the city in intelligently placing its and color composition throughout the The city. light map that will result allows the categorization of different zones in the each city, with its own strategy. lighting and use of taxonomy differentlylit be willResidentialareas than commercial, retail or park uses. Such patterns of light will then be paired with astrological and weather furtheroptimalrefinelightingtodata scenarios. The light map will provide real-time data on light usage and activity throughout the city. Light map will provide real-time data throughout activity and usage light on the city. EYE FILM INSTITUTE INSTALLATION SITE INSTALLATION At an urban scale, a network of wireless photometers and cameras will be installed into the existing lighting infrastructure in order to measure, in real time, light intensity Noord to Amsterdammers. Further, Noord to Amsterdammers. Further, given its low density and proximity to the which water, serves to buffer the site from the bright lights of central Amsterdam, the site serves as a manageable location on which to prototype and test the system. with A-Lab (a media and technology co-working space and incubator) and the soon to open Twenty4 (a music themed mixed-use hotel, club, studio locationThis nearby. tower)office and was chosen to help bolster the first impression of and connotation with Sterrennacht will initially be installed in in installed be initially will Sterrennacht Noord Amsterdam between the ferry to Central Station and the Eye Film Institute. The site represents one of the most cutting-edge locations in the city, URBAN INTERACTION

SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 54 SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 55 PHOTOMETER SENSOR CAMERA SENSOR SITE

SENSOR NETWORK SENSOR LIGHT MAP Right (below): light map showing real-time light levels. Left: proposed installation location (Noord Amsterdam). Right (above): illustration of sensor network with wide-angle cameras (red) and color/light photometers (blue). system (for instance the interior willreduceoverallthetram lights a of lighting needs of its surroundings) so that an optimal lighting program can hourscertain at continuallyoutput be and night.of the day AFTER BEFORE able to provide even light levels, thus counteractingglaretheclutterand of this Importantly, spotlighting. existing and visibility increase will light diffuse sensesafetyof while reducing overall light levels. The tethered sensor network will be connected to and control a series of diffuse, full-spectrum RGB LED luminaires. The specified luminaires fluxluminous 0% emit todesigned are wasted upward (above 90 degrees), which will drastically reduce skyglow and light trespass. These luminaires intelligentlybebe willto as spaced so of diffuse, full-spectrum RGB LED luminaires. The specified luminaires fluxluminous 0% emit todesigned are wasted upward (above 90 degrees), which will drastically reduce skyglow and light trespass. These luminaires intelligentlybebe willto as spaced so able to provide even light levels, thus counteractingglaretheclutterand of this Importantly, spotlighting. existing and visibility increase will light diffuse sensesafetyof while reducing overall Diffuse light will increase visibility and visibility increase will light Diffuse overall reducing while safetly of sense light levels. learn over time. The tethered sensor network will be connected to and control a series LUMINAIRE the cloud to allow the system to self- cyclist, automobile and tram can be provided by a single lighting system. The on-board system’s digital image processor will store optimal lighting methodsandcompare them with and Further, conditions. existing to respond on aggregated be will data system’s the Further, the sensor network is capable is networksensor the Further, of distinguishing between natural and artificial light sources as well objects. Such as static and moving objects will then be categorized and uniquely responded to such that the lighting needs of a pedestrian, a real-time light map of the City of of the City of a real-time light map Amsterdam. This light map will allow see where the system to effectively lightiscoming fromand going to.The system will also be able to recognize objects and surfaces that scatter and reflect light and respond accordingly. TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION Sterrennachtfirstdynamicthewillbe public lighting system designed urban control of light in around the areas. It will do so by first creating

SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 56 SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 57 LENS) CAMERA (WIDE-ANGLE PHOTOMETER BOARD CONTROL IMAGE DIGITAL PROCESSOR PHOTOMETER SENSOR BLUETOOTH 4.0 BLUETOOTH PHOTOMETER RGB LEDS BLUETOOTH 4.0 BLUETOOTH BOARD CONTROL CLOUD BOARD (3G/4G) WIRELESS CAMERA SENSOR LUMINAIRE SENSING/ACTUATING SYSTEM SENSING/ACTUATING

wasted upward and before/after comparison of uneven/spot versus even/diffuse lighting. Right: component parts of sensing and actuating system. Left: proposed luminaire with 0% luminous flux of programmable, full-spectrum RGB LEDs. cloud, over existing 3G/4G wireless 3G/4G wireless cloud, over existing networks, such that the lights can be controlled locally or remotely. The photometers constantly measure light intensity while the wide-angle cameras measure color composition. the actuation system consists Finally, inexpensive. It utilizes two types of and light sensors – a simple color more slightly a and sensor photometer complex camera sensor – tethered camera The 4.0. Bluetooth via together sensor is also linked both directly to the luminaires themselves and to the light levels. The sensor system required for Sterrennacht is relatively simple and SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 58 SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 59 the city of God which had been shown! been had which God of city the envoys these out come night every But of beauty, and light the universe with – Ralph their admonishing smile.” Waldo Emerson, “Nature” Spread: view from Twenty4 looking over Central Amsterdam after installation. in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for of remembrance the generations many he touches. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night STARRY NIGHT STARRY OVER THE IJ that rays The stars. the at look him “Let come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and what to technology and sustainability. At to technology and sustainability. Charles has focused particular MIT, attention on real estate finance and he is negotiation. However, contract intersection the about passionate most of design, especially architecture and urban planning, and finance. He plans to be a private, large-scale, mixed-use areas metropolitan major in developer throughout the world. Charles holds a B.A. from in Philosophy and Religion DC. NYU and grew up in Washington, His personal mission statement is to “Build a Better Present.” Charles Alexius Steelman Charles is a dual degree student with the Center for Real Estate (MSRED) and Studies Urban of Department and particularly is He MIT. at (MCP) Planning interested in innovation in the built environment, especially as it relates Above: Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night Over Above: Vincent Van the Rhone’

SCG AMSTERDAM / A4 / STERRENNACHT (“STARRY NIGHT”) 60 A5 Share the Shine by Wenling LI

SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT be sent to a data cloud and will be represented on a public platform. This will help connect different parts of the city to itself through the canal system as well as promote different neighborhoods. Other sensors can be mounted on water bicycles to collect more environmental information about water and air quality. The better the environmental quality, the more intenseandlarger thegenerated mist will appear. Data about distribution of water bicycles throughout the canal area, while the bicycles are in use, will promote this particular part of the promote this particular part of the neighborhood. system would work with water bicycles, bicycles, water with work would system a mechanism that allows people to propel themselves on top of water on a bicycle. function nodes light the system, this In as a camera and projector. They takes pictures of the area around them randomly throughout the day and project the image onto a nearby mist screen when a water bicycle passes This can be a feature that attracts by. tourists to the waterfront, either to participate or to speculate, and can outer part of the canal network. Alongwithproposethis,canalI mista projection system that synchronizes with other technologies. In this case, I have proposed a design for how the Design Solution I propose a water bicycle service system that links the canal network on the inner part of the city to the How might we use the lighting systemlighting the use we might How in the city to draw tourists’ attention to other interesting areas outside the provide we can How area? canal central a slight and dynamic lighting effect night? at canal of charm the to add and Street lighting in Amsterdam’s central Street Amsterdam’s lightingin perfection, of image an already is canal according to a well-known lighting ButAmsterdam. in visited we designer the canal seems dark and neglected at night. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Design Challenge Dark canla at night

SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 62 SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 63 triggerthe ‘mist projection’& lighting sets one by one as you pass through them, and the system makes you feel as if are always accompanied on your water bike journey. urbanthefunctionscale,canAtit a as public monitoring system, promoting and feed back system. 4. 3. At a personalascale, presenceyourAt will impression, and projection effects) will effects) projection and impression, shown cloud, data a onto integrated be and updated in on a public platform. One type of interaction with the mist the in image the ‘rate’ to is system your receive will system The projection. willimage the it, pass youAfter rating. fade into a color based on gradually your rating and then disappear. Thecolor of the fading projection will range from orange to blue according bicycle: water passing a of rating the to bad’. ‘very to good’ ‘very by tourists in the same neighborhood;same the intourists by by uploaded images of set a is third the residents or shop owners in the same sets data three these All neighborhood. (environmental quality, photographic and the clearer the projection is. The projected images are from three data images random of set a is ﬁrst the sets: taken from the projecting light pole; uploadedimages of set a is second the The intensity and area of each mist screen varies according to the environmental data in the past 24 hours: the better the water and air quality, the more intense and bigger be, will screen of mist the of radius the you bike along a certain route in the canal, your bike begins to sense the routes. the alongquality air and water ‘mist ﬂoating a approaching are you As lighting setup in front & projection’ of you, it will start to emit mist and project images onto the mist. PERSONAL INTERACTIONS rent a You water bicycle at one of the As chain stores scattered in the city. 2. 1.

SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 64 SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 65 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. URBAN INTERACTION URBAN On a web portal for the system, there is also a real time map of the water bikes water of distribution and quality in use. Distribution of water bikes Water pullution map Water

SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 66 SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 67

Sensing of water bike image of water bike: courtesy of http://www.schillerbikes.com e.g. Schiller bike company. Additional technologies like GPS locator and toadded bequality watersensors can the bicycles to collect data. TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION bikesWater might be supplied by them, produce that companies existing

the help of a rubber tire to keep it the help of a rubber tire to keep it buoyant. cloud will actuate the turning on of the of on turning the actuate will cloud color The emission.mist and light LED of qualitythe by decided is light the of the water at its vicinity. surface water the on sit nodes light The while anchored on the riverbed with When a water bike approaches a mist data the from data GPS bike’s the light, Actuator: Mist light Image at lower right hand corner: Courtesy of http://www.thehouseofhydro.com/

SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 68 SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 69 SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 70 SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 71

urban environment. . Wenling Li Wenling of Master in is a candidate Wenling Landscape Architecture, Harvard GSD. Architecture of Bachelor a received She Beijing. University, from Tsinghua intersection the at interest an has She of perception and atmosphere urban of

SCG AMSTERDAM / A5 / SHARE THE SHINE 72 A6 FlyLight by Alan Kwan

SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT enjoy all different forms of activities in activities of forms different all enjoy being about worrying without park the dark. alone in the of a network of This system consists LED quadcopters with high-powered of one user, the by request Upon lights. his location, and them would arrive at therefore and position his follow then these When lighting. personal provide being used, they quadcopters are not on top of dock in charging stations street lamps. 3D Rendering of FlyLight 3D Rendering personalised experience. FlyLight augments existing lighting and ﬂexibility more with infrastructure the city. Although the park has a young a has park the Although city. the and dark very is it atmosphere, hip and to is FlyLight of goal The night. at quiet in people for experience better a create the park at night by enabling them to the dark environment at night, in some in night, at environment dark the cyclists and pedestrians areas, these of passing when safe very feel often don’t through. this project such a problem, Targeting proposes FlyLight, on-demand an that augments urban lighting system with existing lighting infrastructure personalized more ﬂexibility and system can be experience. While the this of the city, used in various areas Westerpark, site: one on focuses project in areas green vast with park a is which of activities in these areas are limited by limited are areas these in activities of While the current network of While the current network extensive is Amsterdam in streetlights exists dark and widespread, there patches in some areas of the city, lamps street where parks, in especially types the While dispersed. relatively are are currently focusing on energy-saving energy-saving on focusing currently are street solutions such as on-demand technology, sensing motion with lights trees as well as glow-in-the-dark what in biology, synthetic with created the push further we might ways other lighting? boundaries of street PROBLEM DESCRIPTION the has always been at Amsterdam Urban in technology. cutting-edge a no exception. While lighting is companies majority of Dutch lighting

SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 74 SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 75 supply for charging supply for charging for favorable is streetlamp of Height (2) taking-off and landing allows (3) The Network of streetlamps docking stations proximity between high-speed and users, thus enables arrival of FlyLight The properties and network of street and network of The properties for good platforms lamps create because: docking stations power (1) Streetlamp can provide FlyLight docks on top of a street lamp when it is not being used. 3. The FlyLight will arrive within minutes. Once the FlyLight reaches your location, it will turn on its high-powered white LED light to illuminate the area ahead of you. While the FlyLight is following you, it will maintain an altitude of 4.5 meters above your head. One FlyLight for Multiple People If you and your friends are walking together and afterwards split into follow will FlyLight directions, different . you) (i.e. call the made who person the 2. A FlyLight from the closest docking It will constantly station will take off. update its GPS information with the server and the server will guide it towards your location. notiﬁcation from the app saying a FlyLight is on its way. dark and quiet, and you feel a little bit quiet,little and a dark feel you and FlyLight the open can you Now unsafe. app and push the “CALL FlyLight” button. GPS location is sent to the server Your and the system ﬁnds the nearest FlyLight. Afterwards you receive a 1. Imagine you are walking or riding a bike in a park midnight. It is very PERSONAL INTERACTIONS A. A FLYLIGHT CALLING

SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 76 SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 77 C. CALLING OFF A FLYLIGHT When you exit the park and don’t need don’t and park the exit you When off it call can you anymore, FlyLight the in button FlyLight” “OFF the pushing by the app. The FlyLight will then return to its its for prepared be and station docking next call. user and activate the take-off of the corresponding FlyLight. If you are waiting/still for a long time OR the pass through path doesn’t Your of other docking stations range In the above scenarios, when the it battery level of FlyLight is low, will notify the server and request replacement. The server will then find the closest docking station to the Nearby FlyLight coming to replace the one with low-battery limited by the battery life . take-off of FlyLight from this docking station, which will come and replace the existing one. The old one will for station docking its to back fly then charging. This swapping mechanism therefore allows continuous being without user the to illumination 4.) Whenever the FlyLight passes of another docking through the range station, it will check its battery level and the distance to destination. If the it will notify the battery level is low, server and the server will activate the B. AUTOMATIC SWAPPING OF FLYLIGHT SWAPPING B. AUTOMATIC When an emergency is detected, Flylight will emit flashing red and blue light to signal attention, and move in erratic pattern to avoid attack or tamper with it. evidence. In this scenario, the LED strips around the propellors and the high-powered LED light emit flashing red and blue light, and the speaker emits high frequency sound to signal attention. The FlyLight will also move to attempts avoid to pattern erratic in by its directional microphone and will and microphone directional its by behaviors. response automated trigger FlyLight will send a notification to emergency system of the central Amsterdam (i.e. 112), and at the same time start video and audio recording and microphone for using its camera function. Each FlyLight is equipped with a directional microphone, a camera, a speaker. and When you encounter an emergency while robbery, a example for situation, yell can you you, following is FlyLight a which will be detected “HELP!” loudly, FlyLight also includes a personal safety personal a includes also FlyLight SECONDARY SAFETY FUNCTIONS SAFETY SECONDARY

SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 78 SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 79 Distance between two docking stations (not drawn to scale) a total flying time of 15 minutes. To a total flying time of 15 minutes. To be would there uses, all accommodate meters 312.5 every in station docking a of a walking path. Therefore, there stations docking 64 of total a be would in the park. walking alone. Moreover, as the walking alone. Moreover, is close to location of Westerpark system the FlyLight the city center, may help to activate the park during more tourists nighttime and attract spot of towards this unique cultural the city. As the use of high-density LiPo in travelling FlyLight a allows batteries have to speed walking human average ship and safety when they are strolling, cycling, reading or chatting with friends, the lights move with them and create unique enjoyable experience. On top of this, the system illumination personal provides only not street traditional to contrast in also, but companion of sense a users gives lamp, most of the areas of the park remain are there when night at quiet and dark happening. events public large-scale no The FlyLight system is designed to create a better experience for people night.at park the in are they Whether with lots of green. It features a youthful a features It green. of lots with rich atmosphere -- with and culturally an art-house cinema, cafes, a several offices designers’ starting-up of number being Despite shops. independent and an area filled with creative industries and having quite a few night clubs, Westerpark consists of a vast space Westerpark URBAN INTERACTIONS

Distribution of docking stations in the park & examples of visualisation of data that would be collected by the FlyLight system. Collecting Evidence & Creating Crime Map The directional microphone on the FlyLight system allows detection of emergency situations, and at the together with same time the camera the microphone enable automatic collection of evidences. Furthermore, the GPS location and the timestamp can help to identify hotspots and peak hours for crime. Improving Walking & Improving Walking Biking Paths Apart from these, the system also enables the collection of data about the time people spend in the area, the forms of navigation (walking/biking) most used, and the paths people take at night. Such data would be useful in in paths biking and walking improving the area. there can also be the possibilities of building more street lamps. can be analyzed. It therefore enables a enables therefore It analyzed. be can better understanding of the demand speciﬁc in lighting public additional for areas. If there is high demand at one spot, there may be considerations stations. docking more creating about When the demand is high enough, When a FlyLight is called on or off via the app, the GPS locations of the user and the timestamps are being such By collecting saved to the server. data, usage of the system in different seasons and day, the of time locations, and the users, various types of data can data of types various users, the and in useful be would which collected, be three different days: Understanding Demand for Additional Public Lighting At the same time, through the between the mobile app interactions

SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 80 SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 81 Diagram of FlyLight. server. server. location the identify to used is GPS The connection 4G the while FlyLight, the of server. the with communicate to used is quadcopter the of process landing The to detect makes use of the camera station docking the on markers optical for positional alignment. speaker would emit high-frequency sound to signal attention. The camera and microphone would also be used for evidence purposes. The video and ﬂash the in both stored are ﬁles audio memory of the quadcopter and in the a. Quadcopter FlyLight During emergency situations, the panel is off. The directional microphone is always pick can and user the towards pointing such volume sound in increase rapid up as yelling, which enables detection of emergency situations. will only be switched ON when it is the rest of the For following the user. landing, traveling time (e.g. take-off, user), the and station docking between The LED strip is the panel will be OFF. used to make visible the quadcopter to people and animals while the LED The FlyLight is a quadcopter equipped quadcopter a is FlyLight The with a high-powered LED panel that can emit white, red and blue lights. It TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION of three system consists The FlyLight FlyLight components: The technology Station, and The Docking Quadcopter, System. The Cloud-Based Dispatch Diagrams of docking station. the alignment of the quadcopter during landing. The top cover can be opened and closed using the iris mechanism to wind. and rain from FlyLight the protect The docking station for FlyLight is existing into integrated be to designed street lamps in Amsterdam. One of its major components is a conductive surface which would be charging. for FlyLight the to connected It also has an optical marker to assist b. Docking Station b. Docking

SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 82 SCG AMSTERDAM / A6 / FLYLIGHT 83 5. Calling off a FlyLight destination, the reaches user the When he would use the app to call off the FlyLight. The Call-off message is sent from the phone to the cloud, and the cloud would then send a message to the FlyLight, calling it to return to its docking station. the FlyLight passes through the range range the through passes FlyLight the its checks it station, docking another of battery level and also the distance to destination. If the battery level is low, it would send a replacement request would cloud the then and cloud, the to on FlyLight the of take-off the activate it bringing station, docking closest the to replace the one with low battery. 3. Following the User the 3. Following the user, the reaches FlyLight the Once cloud receives constant GPS location updates from both the user and the FlyLight. It would then give directions constantly is it ensuring FlyLight, the to following the user. 4. Swapping FlyLights every time When following the user, guiding it towards the user’s location. guiding it towards the user’s 2. Finding the User it will Once the FlyLight has taken off, with location GPS its update constantly the cloud via 4G. The cloud will then FlyLight, the to back information send When a FlyLight is called via the app, sent be will user the of location GPS the to the cloud (server) via 3G/4G. The server will then retrieve information from its database and find the closest message sending by followed FlyLight, via 4G to activate its take-off. 1. Requesting a FlyLight FlyLights. The system mainly consists of of consists mainly system The FlyLights. five stages: c. Cloud-Based Dispatch System Dispatch c. Cloud-Based ouput and input the controls cloud The and both to the user of information the FlyLight. It not only coordinates user, the with FlyLight of positions the of swapping the coordinates also it but His projects combine film, video game game video film, combine projects His and emerging technologies such as sensors, life-logging and brainwave and have been shown at exhibitions including Arts Electronica Festival in Austria, ZKM Centre for Art and Museum of and Media in Germany, Art (MOCA) Shanghai. Contemporary In 2014, he received the Hong Kong Arts Development Council Award for Asian the and Art), (Media Artist Young to pursue Council Fellowship Cultural In 2015 he studies at MIT. his graduate was awarded the Schnitzer First Prize at MIT. Alan Kwan and artist media digital a is Kwan Alan in studying currently is who researcher program Technology & Culture Art, the of intersection the at works He . MIT of media. new and cinema, reality, virtual

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